The Student Who Loved Me
by Zetsumei3
Summary: A Continuation Of The Series, Starting When Ayase Admitted Her Feelings To Seiji. New Characters Enter, Old Ones Return, And Insanity Ensues. Gotta Love It. Rated M For Vulgar Language And Adult Situations. Viewer Discretion Is Advised :Ha, Yeah Right:
1. The Next year

Woot, a new fanfic. I'll be doing chapters for this in my spare time, while I work on Forgotten Past.

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:The Next Year:

Ayase, her dark brown hair hanging down past her ears, fluttering in the crisp wind, looked up at the streetlight, her eyes half closed in the twilight that had followed the setting sun. Tears streamed down her cheeks slowly, as she remembered telling Seiji she loved him. She had finally got the courage to tell him, but he loved someone else. Small, sobbing convulsions racked her body, as she started to settle down. She heard some footsteps, and then a pair of voices, arguing. One was deep, gruff, filled with a kind of scary treble. The other was deep as well, but held a great deal of love in it, a soothing type of voice. Ayase turned when she heard the soothing voice call out, "Excuse me, miss. Would you give us directions?" She wiped the tears from her eyes, turning towards the voice, "Oh, yes, of course," She said, her voice dry. She felt tears escape again, and brushed them away before they came en masse, "Where are you head-" She stopped as she saw the two who owned the voices.

One of them had course, black hair, spiking up. He wore a pair of dark jeans, a dark blue sweatshirt covering his abdomen. The other had dark silver hair, which extended down to his earlobes. He wore a pair of loose camoflauge pants, a sleeveless black shirt covering him. They both stood nearly a foot above Ayase. She backed away slightly, not knowing whether to give them directions or not anymore. The silver haired one smiled, which calmed her slightly. She kept from looked at the black haired one. He was scary. Veryily. While the other one wasn't as scary looking, his colored hair made him look like a delinquint. She couldn't help but think to herself, _Oh no, I'm gonna get sold by two Yakuza as a slave!_

She kept her mind clear, kept an innocent face, all the while calmly reaching into her bag for acan of mace. She still felt the hot tinge of tears that had been rolling down her face earlier.

"We need to find-" He stopped as he saw Ayase's face. Her cheeks were still wet, but she smiled, nodding her head, "I'm sorry?? I didn't quite catch that, hahaha," Her halting laugh betrayed her real mood.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry," The silver haired man spoke again, "It isn't my business, but is everything allright?"

She nodded, still smiling, "Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?" Her smile faltered slightly, as she thought of Seiji. The silver haired man nodded, "Allright, if you say so."

She nodded, silently thanking him in her head for not pushing the issue, "Now, you wanted directions?"

"Oh, yes," The man said pulling out a scrap of paper and handing it to her, "We're looking for this address here." She looked at the scrap of paper, "Oh, go right down this road, take the first left, follow that road and take the third right. There should be a convenience store, its right across from there." She handed the piece of paper back to the smiling man, "Thank you very much." He started off, the black haired man pulling in front. Ayase watched them leave.

The silver haired man stopped, turned, and looked at Ayase once more, raising his voice sligtly, "Are you sure you're gonna be allright?"

Ayase nodded, "Yes, I'll be fine." The man nodded, and caught up to the other man. They took a left, and were gone. Ayase wiped her eyes once more, getting a few tears away from them before starting back to her home.

The next day was graduation, and it went off without a hitch. It felt weird sitting in a spot where she almost always watched Seiji, but thankfully he was a few rows up. After crying the night before, she got it out of her system and no longer threatened to do so when thinking about Seiji. After it had finished, she ran off with some friends to celebrate at a Karaoke bar. There was one month before she had to return to schoolwork everyday again, and she intended to enjoy it.

A month later...

The day after the opening ceremony, Ayase arrived early to class. She started arranging her bag, making sure everything was there. There was a slight commotion, as students started to file through the gates of the school, filtering into the main yard, searching for their friends. Looking out the window, she saw Seiji walking toward the gate. From the direction, she could tell he had just taken Midori to her school. Ayase smiled, thinking of how happy Seiji and Midori were together, feeling happy for the both of them. She smiled, standing up and walking down to the main doors. Going out into the courtyard, she smacked Seiji on his back, scaring him, "What the hell, Ayase!?"

She smiled, Nao coming up to her side and watching, "I was getting your attention."

"You couldn't just say my name, then?" Seiji said, his voice lowering slightly as he ground his teeth.

Ayase placed her finger on her chin, looking up, "Hm, that might have done the job," She looked back at him, smiling, "But my way was more fun."

Seiji shook his head, "Whatever, shouldn't you be in class, Ms. President?"

She glared at him, "I don't hang around class all day, you know."

"Eh, wouldn't know it from looking at you," He said, turning as he heard his name. Miyahara, with his slicked back dark hair and his slightly dirty school uniform, came running up, breathing heavily, "Sawamura! Theres a gang of guys heading this way, looking for you!"

Seiji opened his eyes wider, "What the hell? Why now, of all days?" He sighed, shaking his head, "What the hell did you do, Miyahara?"

Miyahara looked pained, "What? Sawamura, I didn't do anything, not this time. They were talking about going up in the gang heirarchy thing they got going, and figured if they took you down, they'd go instantly to the top. I got here as fast as possible, to warn you."

Seiji handed Ayase his bookbag, "Geez, I never get a break, do I?" He started toward the gate, "I'm gonna be late to class, set my bag on my desk."

"Sawamura, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Ayase said, her temper showing, "You gave up gangfigting, remember? For Midori?"

Seiji stopped at Midori's name, kids filed past him as the ten minute bell rang.

"Ayase, if I don't take care of these losers, then they'll attack me while I'm _with_ Midori," He turned around, a pained look in his face, "I'd rather die, than risk her in a brawl."

He kept walking, Ayase watching him leave. She started toward class. Walking up the staircase, she started thinking, and knew what she should do.

She opened the door, and walked to thedesk at the front of the class. There was a man behind it, sorting papers.

"Sensei, I need to have a word with you." She said, looking around. There were only a few students in the class so far. The teacher faced her in his chair, setting a stack of papers down, "Oh, yes, Ayase?"

"Sawakura is going to be late to school today," She said, clearing her throat slightly, "He had a horrible cough and didn't want to risk anything unnecesarily."

The teacher cocked an eyebrow, "Oh, and why, if I may ask, are you telling me this? Why not someone else?"

"He knew that if one of his close friends told you, you wouldn't believe him. I may be his friend, but I wouldn't lie on his behalf, just so he could skip school," She smiled, "He may be a delinquit, but he isn't an idiot, Sensei."

The teacher nodded, "Allright, I'll send word to the principle that he's sick, and I'll also mention that you told me. That should convince him that its true."

Ayase bowed, "Thank you," and went to her seat. She read the board, and took out a pen, a notebook, and a pencil. She took one last check, making sure she had everything she needed before class started. The other students had filed in while she had spoken with the teacher. She saw him hand a note to a student, a member of the kendo club by the look of his physique, and watched as the student left the classroom. The class bell rang, signaling the start of their studies. The teacher stood up, a piece of chalk in his hand, as he started explaining what they would be doing. It was a few minutes into the class, when the door opened and the principal walked in. After a few minutes of whispered conversation, the teacher said loudly, "Well, of course. New students are always welcome in my class." The principal nodded, smiling. He left, as two tall boys, one with silver earlobe length hair and one with spiked black hair walked in, dressed in their school uniforms. They both carried bookbags over their shoulders. Now that it was daytime, Ayase could clearly see their eyes. The silver haired boys was a chestnut brown, the others was a dark brown with a slight tinge of green. She looked at them, confused.

She thought they were at least twenty-three years old, each. She shook her head, clearing away her thoughts as the teacher asked them to introduce themselves to the class.

"Ello," The silver haired one started, smiling, "You may refer to me as Kuragari Hiren or just Hiren, or Nanook, or...haha, in fact, just call me whatever you feel like calling me." He looked around as he continued, "I enjoy reading books, writing, and chasing girls." A few students chuckled as he finished, but not before he said, "haha, just kidding about that last one."

He smiled as he waited for the black haired boy to speak. And waited. And waited more. And waited some more. After about five minutes, Hiren looked at the boy, "Yoku, introduce yourself."

The black haired boy, Yoku, just stared at the back wall. It wasn't a gaze of death or anything, it was a kind of sleepy gaze. Hiren sighed, setting his bookbag on the ground, "Sorry, this happens from time to time. Give me a second, and I'll get him awake." He unclasped the buttons holding the cuff of his right sleeve taut, and rolled the sleeve up to just above his elbow. What little could be seen of his arm was a mass of sinewy muscle, which roiled as he opened and closed his fist. Backing up a few feet, he brought his arm back so his fist was level with his head, lowered his body, and burst forward suddenly.

Ayase had widened her eyes as soon as she realized what he was doing, standing up quickly, "Are you insane!?" Even as she finished, Hiren's fist connected with Yoju, sending him into a spiraling throw towards the door. The door in question was sure to have been destroyed, had Seiji not opened it at that very moment. Had Seiji been expecting to have a six foot five, two hundred fifty-five pound high school student spiraling towards him, he would have dodged or blocked, or moved, or something. But...

Later, in the nurse's office, Seiji was glaring at the ceiling. He had only just woken up, and his eyes had opened that way. He turned his head, and saw the nurse's assisstant, a younger classmen, evident by his total interest in the work he had signed up for the day of school. The boy turned, feeling someone's eyes on him, and hit the wall running as he saw Seiji's intimidating gaze.

"What. Happened." Seiji spat out, his words laced with killing intent.

The boy stammered, "Y-y-y-you got k-k-k-kk-nn-n-nocked unc-c-concious..." Seiji sat up, rubbing his head, taking his gaze out the window, "What time is it?"

"It's um, 9:34 AM," Seiji nodded, "Then I've been out for a couple hours..." Standing up, he stretched, heading for the door. The boy would've stopped him, but he was a first year student, not an idiot.

Seiji opened the door, walked in, closed the door, and started toward his seat. He had been sat in the back, next to the window again. Ayase was to his right, and to her right was three more empty desks. His classes always had extra chairs, for some reason. He took his seat, grabbed a notebook, and drew out a penicl haphazardly. Opening the notebook, he start jotting down the notes he had missed, which were still on the board. He was too tired to do anything except basic writing. He'd have to get the notes from someone later, to make sure he got them all correct. This was due in part that he had never been good at taking notes, but was also due to the fact that the teacher at that moment looked like Jesus to him. He had no doubt in his mind that this had been caused by the guy colliding with him. As he thought of that, he seemed to grimly set his jaw. His hand tightened and he pushed down harder on his pencil until it was about to break.

He heard a bell, and realized it was for lunch. He couldn't remember what had happened in the time from when he got to class to the bell, but he remembered that he had gotten the early lunch that year. Ayase turned towards him, as she pulled out a bento, "Seiji, you allright? That guy nailed you pretty hard."

Seiji nodded, "Yeah, whatever," He clenched his fist, "When I find that guy, I'm gonna kill him. He isn't even gonna know what direction my fist is coming from!"

Ayase raised an eyebrow, "Um, Seiji, what're you talking about?"

"That guy that nailed me," He said, "I don't know who he is, but I'm gonna find him and get him back, that cheapshotting little punk."

Ayase looked at Seiji as if he was a complete idiot, "Don't tell me you haven't noticed yet," When Seiji returned her look with one of confusement, she sighed, moved to the left and revealed a black haired man to her right and a silver haired man to his right, as she said, "Let me introduce you. Seiji, this is Kuragari Hiren and Hissatsu Yoku. Kuragari, Hissatsu, this is Sawamura Seiji."

Hiren tilted his head, smiling, "A pleasure to meet you, Seiji."

When Yoku turned around, Seiji gaped for a second before pointing accusedly at him, "You!"

Seiji glared at the two students. "Alright, let me get this straight," Seiji said, looking at Ayase, "We got two new students, neither of whom I noticed the entire time I was in class." Ayase nodded calmly, "Yes, thats correct." Seiji looked dumbfounded, "But, I looked right at those seats. There was noone there, I know there wasn't."

"They were there the entire time," Ayase explained, "In fact, they have a better attendance record already than you, and its the first day of school."

Seiji slumped down to the ground, grumbling, "Oh, shut up."

Aisu looked at Seiji, "Sorry about earlier, Yoku is a little clumsy," Hiren nodded at Yoku, "Isn't that right?"

Yoku looked innocently at Seiji, "Seriously, it wasn't my fault, I didn't do anything."

"What're you talking about, if it wasn't you, then who?" Hiren said, cocking an eyebrow at Yoku's back.

Yoku turned around, glaring at him, growling, "You punched me in the face."

Hiren thought for a second, "Oh hey, you're right," He laughed, "Haha, guess its technically my fault then, isn't it?"

"Speaking of which," Ayase said, interrupting Yoku who had been about to say something, "Why did you do that, anyway?"

Hiren took a swig from a thermos he held, "Oh, Yoku falls asleep like that a lot when he gets bored. Punching him is the fastest way to wake him up," Hiren tilted his head, smiling, "Well, there is one other way, but acting like that my first day, ha, no thanks."

Ayase tilted her head slightly, but before she could ask the bell rang for class to start again. They all went down to the bottom floor, their class had Pysical Education next. Standing outside the doorway, Seiji, Hiren, and Yoku all waited for the teacher to get there. Seiji, after spending lunch with them, decided the new kids were all right, and no longer felt the urge to punch them. Much. They all three headed out to where the class was meeting. The girls in their shorts and shirts were quite beautiful, and the boys wore an almost near exact same uniform, albeit not nearly as awesomely. Now that the two boys were out of their school uniforms, which had seemed a little baggy on them, it was obvious they were large. Their shirts were each 3xl, and were still tight against their well mucled abdomens. Yoku seemed a little more broad in the arms and chest, while Hiren seemed to have bigger legs. Stretching, their muscles rippled as they readied for the first exercise.

Since it was the beginning of the year, the teacher had decided to hold a contest, a way to test eveyrone as a whole. It would consist of a 100 metre sprint, a 400 metre sprint, an 800 metre run, and a 1600 metre run, for the first day. The 100 metre female sprint was first. Ayase stepped up to the starting point, five other girls spread out to her right. Kneeling slightly, she could feel her left knee skimming the ground as she prepared to push off with her right foot, leaning on her hands forward. She heard a whistle, and pushed off.

The boys had lined up, those who didn't have a girlfriend watching with a great amount of interest, Hiren among them. Ayase passed the mark, stopping a few yards later. She moved out of the way, as another group of girls got ready to sprint. It was five minutes later when the boys started their races. Hiren was in the third rung of the track, Seiji to his right and Yoku to his left. Ayase looked at this, fearing what would happen if those three delinquits were racing aganst each other. Images of burned, maimed bodies and the school on fire filled her mind.

She shook her head as she heard the whistle blow, her eyes were on the three of them. She had intended to keep track of them and see who won, since they'd likely argue about it. What she hadn't been expecting was for Hiren and Yoku to pull in front of Seiji almost immediately at a dead sprint. Seiji burst forward as soon as he realized what had happened, but it was too late. Hiren and Yoku were at the other end of the track, stretching as they moved out of the way of the others. The teacher had a stunned look on his face, as did all of the students. One student murmured to himself, "What the hell are they..."

Another five minutes passed, and the girls 400 metre was starting. Ayase had until the third race, so she found Yoku, Hiren, and Seiji talking amongst themselves.

"Hey, you two," She said, indicating Hiren and Yoku, "What was that? How'd you get that fast?"

Yoku smiled, "Oh, that? We were both in Wrestling back in our old school, so we got a plenty big workout everyday, even before my dad started training me and Hiren's his."

Hiren nodded, "Yep, Football and Track helped as well for me. Yoku didn't take football though, he took Water Polo instead. He considered track, but then we switched schools."

Seiji nodded, "Wow, considering your size I wouldn't have expected you to run that fast."

Hiren smiled, "Yeah, we get that a lot. Although, the 800 and 1600 metre are where we'll probably fall behind, me especially."

"Yeah, neither of us has the charisma of a skinny person, although mine is considerably more than Hiren's." Hiren nodded. Ayase nodded, "Ah, ok, I see." She ran off to her race, leaving the three of them to talk amongst themselves again.

A few days passed, and they all got to be very good friends. Hiren and Yoku were able to meet Midori, Nao, and everybody else. Well, all except one...

On the outskirts of the city, along the side of a highway, a girl in biker clothes and luggage tied to the back of her chopper looked out over the city lights as it grew dark outside. She held her helmet at her side, revealing her blone curly hair being held back by a red bandana.

"I'm back, everyone..." She said, smiling as she placed her helmet on, got onto her motorcycle, and sped off toward the exit.

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Now then, how'd you like it?

It isn't very good, I know, but it'll get better in the future I hope.

Chapter Two will start the story on its track of hilarious romance.


	2. Lucy?

Well, Chapter Two is out!

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:Lucy!?:

Hiren, Yoku, Ayase, and Seiji were all waiting outside of the school's main door, waiting for no particular reason. Enjoying the early morning sun, which had already begun its trek across the sky, they talked about whatever came to mind.

"Hiren, I've been wondering," Seiji said, craning his head. He was leaning against the wall, and Hiren was on a bench to his left. Ayase stood facing the three of them, holding her bag in front of her skirt, and Yoku sat next to Hiren. "Whats with your hair?"

Hiren lifted his hair slightly, "This? I've been growing it out for the last couple of years," He yawned, before continuing, "I changed the color a few months back, just felt like seeing what it would look like. Besides, the other color was kinda dull."

Ayase piped up, "What color was it originally?"

Hiren had just opened his mouth to respond, when a female voice could be heard from the school's gates, "Hey Ayase! Sawamura!!!" There was a quick succession of running, as a blonde curly haired girl wearing the school's uniform came running towards them. Her bag bounced as she ran, as did her breasts.

Yoku cocked his head, "So, who's that?" Seiji had taken a few steps forward, the girl getting closer, and closer, "Huh, she looks familiar, and the voice too...it kinda resembles...LUCY!!?" His last word was screamed, due to Lucy's form barreling into him. There was a rather ominous crack as he collided with the wall. Well, as his face collided with the wall, to be exact. Ayase had dropped her bag out of surprise, Yoku had fallen to the grpound laughing, and Hiren just cocked an eyebrow. Lucy, oblivious to all of this, continued to hug and snuggle Seiji's now limp form.

"Oh, Seiji! I'm sorry I've been gone for so long," She perked up, her eyes wide in amazement, smiling, and sparkles seemed to be around her face, "Did you miss me?" Seiji stood up, miraculously unharmed, rubbing his head, "OW! Lucy, why're you back!? I thought you moved back to America!"

Lucy stood up smiling, "Oh, I did. I'm back on another exchange program! Hee hee!" Seiji shook his head, "Well, Miyahara will be glad you're back, have you talked to him yet?"

She smiled, "Oh, I will. I want to surprise him though, at lunch." She turned around, grasping Ayase in a hug, "Ayase! I've missed you!"

Ayase pushed her away slightly, trying to get air, "Me too, Lucy, I missed you too." Lucy released her, turning towards Hiren, hugging him, "I've missed you too!...Uhm...hmm..." She looked up, "Um...who are you?" Yoku was laughing even harder now, and his face was turning a shade of blue unknown to adorn a human's face. Hiren just smiled, "You can call me Hiren. Lucy, was it?" She stood up, dusting her her skirt off. She scratched the back of her head, smiling sheepishly, "Uh, yeah, haha. Sorry about that." She looked at Yoku, his laughing form bringing a smile to her face, "So, who is that, exactly?"

"His names Yoku, Lucy," Hiren said, getting up and walking over to him, "Yoku, get up and greet Lucy." Yoku still laughed, even though it was obvious he was trying to settle down.

"Yoku...come on, it wasn't that funny...Yoku...ah damn it, you brought it on yourself..." With that, Hiren's foot was planted squarely into Yoku's face, sending him skidding across the ground a few feet. Hiren turned around to the astonished faces of Ayase, Seiji, and Lucy, "What? I do it all the time," there was a loud thunk as Yoku's foot collided with the side of Hiren's leg, sweeping him down onto the ground. Seiji, Ayase, and Lucy stared at the spectacle before them. Yoku was standing, and Hiren had his back on the ground, a pained grimace on his face.

"That was for my face," Yoku said, as he brought his foot on a course for Hiren's ribcage, "And this is the interest!" Yoku's foot was only a few inches away, when Hiren came into a full turn, getting on his hands and knees. Yoku's shin collided, causing him to smile until Hiren wrapped his arm around the back of his knee. Hiren came up and twisted back towards Yoku's now off-balance body, the leg following, and Yoku's body following the leg. As his body crashed onto the ground, Hiren wrapped his arm under Yoku's neck. Sucking in his stomach, he constricted his arms, locking them at the fists.

"Say it, Yoku! Say it!" Hiren said loudly, Yoku responding, "Never!!!" His body came up a few times, as he tried to get his body free from Hiren's grip. Slowly, his body started slowing.

Ayase snapped back to reality, "What the hell are you doing!!?"

Hiren looked at her, craning his head, with an innocent look on his face, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You two just started fighting!" She said, indicating them with her hand, "For no reason!"

Hiren released Yoku, both of them standing up. Hiren smiled, "Sorry about that, we spar every now and then at random times."

Ayase gaped at them, "Spar? Spar!!?" Yoku and Hiren winced as she raised her voice, "Spar!? Yoku is bleeding from the head, and your ribs might be broken!"

Yoku raised his hand to his head, "Bleeding?..."His fingers came back wet, a sticky red substance on them, "Oh, would you look at that..." He said, not quite surprised. Ayase got behind them, pushing them towards the doors. They allowed her to push them, as she said, exaggerated, "Seiji, get the door. I'm taking these two to the nurse..." Seiji closed the door behind them, leaving him and Lucy the only two left. They stood there, quiet, for a few minutes before Seiji said, "So, what class are you in anyways?"

She just smiled, throwing him a peace sign. He sighed, "I should've known..." He looked up at the sky, "This is going to be a long day..."

Ayase was in the nurse's office, waiting for Yoku to get patched up. Hiren's ribs were slightly bruised, nothing else, but Yoku had smashed his head reletively hard against the ground. Hiren looked at her, a strange look in his eye. She looked back at him, "What is it?"

"Nothing, just trying to figure out how best to say it..." He responded.

"Say what?" She said, lookiing at him strangely.

"How sorry I am," Hiren said smiling, "For fighting earlier."

Ayase smiled, "Well, thank you." She looked at Yoku, who gazed back at her. It took a few minutes, but Ayase spoke, "Yoku, don't you have anything to say too?" Yoku remained quiet, his gaze never moving. Her eye twitched slightly, as she took a few calm breathes, "Yoku, are you trying to phrase it the right way or something too?"

Yoku was quiet, which caused Ayase to scream at him, "You know what, fine! Don't apologize, whatever!" She stormed out of the nurse's office, slamming the door loudly. Yoku had been startled by this, and suddenly looked around, "Huh, what?"

"You neglected to apologize to her, for the fighting earlier." Hiren said, looking at Yoku.

Yoku held a surprised look on his face, "What? How could I say sorry?"

"I don't know, you're proud of being insane?"

"No, Hiren, I wasn't even awake just now! I lacked the capabilities to say anything!" He ran to the door, "Ayase, I'm sorry!"

"So sorry, Yoku," She said neglectedly, "But its too late!"

Yoku looked at Hiren, who was smiling, "I fucking hate you. So much."

Lunch had just started a few minutes before. Ayase, Seiji, Yoku, and Hiren all were sitting on the roof of the school, their lunches unpacked and being eaten. Yoku and Hiren both had their backs to the metal fencing that kept the roof from being too dnagerous during windy days. Ayase was on Hiren's left, Seiji on her left. They ate quietly, until they could all suddenly hear clearly the sounds of someone running up the steps inside. They watched the door, waiting patiently.

Miyahara burst through the door, stopping, breathing hard, "Hey guys, I 'm here. What did you guys want me to see?" All four of them pointed above him, causing him to turn and look up. This would have given him a perfect view of a blimp passing over, if not for the feminine form of a curly haired blonde girl colliding with him, screaming, "Miyahara!!!" There was an audible crunch as Miyahara broke their fall with his back, "L-Lucy!!?"

Lucy was squeezing him tightly, nestling her head into his chest, "Oh, Miyahara, I missed you Sooooooooooooo much!" Miyahara seemed unable to actually talk, instead gaping his mouth as Lucy continued, "Miyahara, did you miss me too?" She looked at him, a searching look in her eyes.

It took Miyahara a full three seconds to regain his composure, "Y-Yeah, of course! Absolutely!" He stood, picking her up. Smiling, he set her down, as they both walked over to Ayase, Seiji, Yoku, and Hiren.

They sat down, and started talking.

"Ok, so how long have you all known?" Miyahara asked, looking at them.

"Not since this morning, Miyahara," Seiji said, getting a nod from Ayase. Hiren and Yoku sat quetly, eating.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask," Lucy said, pointing at Hiren and Yoku, "When did our school get a pair of Yakuza?"

Hiren and Yoku were choking on their food, as Seiji laughed. Hiren got himself under control first, "I'm sorry, did you just say, Yakuza?"

Lucy nodded, "Yes, thats what you look like."

"Ok, so explain this to me," Hiren said, placing his chopsticks on his bento, "How do we look like yakuza?"

"You're hair is dyed a strange color, the kind of color only a gangmember woud wear," She pointed at Yoku, "And his face is the reason children cry at night."

Yoku sulked in a corner, Hiren smiling, "Well, you're right about that, actually." Yoku glared at Hiren, cracking his knuckles, cocking an eyebrow, "What'd you say about me?"

Hiren stood up, stretching his arm, "You wanna go, Wus-say?" Ayase was between the two of them instantly, "Stop that right now, you two!" Hiren dropped his arm, "ok, sorry about that. I'll work on not fighting, then."

Ayase smiled, "Good, now class is almost starting, let's go." She walked off, without a word to Yoku. Yoku stood speechless, as everyone gathered their stuff. He picked up his bookbag, and followed everyone down to class.

Class was uneventful, although there seemed to be a deathly chill near the back, around Ayase. While Yoku felt this to the MAX!, Hiren apparently felt nothing, even having the gaull to smile at Yoku. Yoku's returning glare also glanced harmlessly off Hiren's calm, collected face, although its reported a man that was spying on that class via the window had gone into shock, muttering something about the "Devil's eyes."

Class was uneventful, as was usual. After school, Seiji ran off, "Sory guys, Midori's waiting for me at the park!" He siled as he turned a corner, and sped off. Hiren and Yoku smiled, Hiren saying, "Man, a lot of people around us have a significant other, don't they?"

Yoku nodded, "Yeah, you got a point."

Ayase had walked past them, "Well, see ya tomorrow Hiren." She kept working, as an appalled look came over Yoku, his mouth wide open. He slumped his head, "I hate my life..."

Ayase turned around, still walking, "What was tha-" She halted in her phrase, as she collided with something that had suddenly appeared in front of her. She turned her head, "Sorry about that, please forgive me." She looked at the man she had run into. He stood close to three inches taller than her, his hair slicked back in a greaser fashion style. His eyebrows seemed to be in a continuous arc. A large group of people stood behind, all looking gruff, as he glared down at Ayase, "Outta my way." He looked around, "Sawamura, you bitch! Get out here!"

Ayase lowered her eyes, "Look, whoever you are, get off the school's ground. Not only are you from a different school, but our school has a policy against gangs like you."

The original man looked at her, lifting an eyebrow, "Ha, whatever chicky. Tell us where Sawamura is, and we'll leave."

"He's with his girlfriend, thats all I know," She said defiantly.

The man smiled, "Good, we can use that slut of his to our advantage."

Ayase's face flustered in anger, "What did yu just call Midori!?" Yoku and Hiren, both of whom had been watching this unfold, started walking closer slowly. Their bags dropped to the ground.

"I called the slut a slut," the man repeated, louder this time. The sound of Ayase's open palm colliding with the man's cheek was so loud, teachers inside the school even heard it. The man's head had turned, as he held a plain look on his face, as Ayase said, "noone talks about my friends like that!" She didn't say anything more, but instead felt the man's palm slap against her cheek, albeit with more blunt force. She held her cheek, a tear almost escaping from the pain.

"Listen here bitch, I don't have all day. Now either tell us where Sawamura is, or we'll force it out of ya." Is what the man meant to say. All he got out was, "Listen He-" followed by a choking sound followed immediately by a loud bang and a crack as he collided with the stone wall. Hiren's and Yoku's legs both dropped to the ground, as they held a sort of light-footed stance. Yoku was cracking his knuckles and Hiren's hands were in his pocket.

Hiren looked at the man, "Get up, we didn't hit you that hard." The man stood, wiping a streak of blood from his chin, "What the hell? Who the hell're you?"

"Whats your name, if you will?" Hiren said calmly, ignoring the man.

"Fuck you!" Was the man's response, as he walked towards Hiren and Yoku.

"Allright, Fuck You. The crimes you're charged with are vulgarity in front of a female, threatening to harm a female,and actually harming a female." Hiren continued, ignoring him further as the man worked his way closer, "How do you plead?"

The man rushed them suddenly, "Fuck you two! Get 'em guys!"

"Guilty to all charges," Hiren said, as Yoku's fist connected with the man's face, "Good choice."

Yoku rushed into the group, his fist flying. Man after man fell, bending over double. Those that dodged Yoku were shortly taken out by Hiren, who dealt out kicks and throws left and right. It was like the fourth of July, only with pained screams of agony. Ayase watched in amazement, until the group had been taken care of like a pack of rabbits against two hungry wolves.

Yoku kicked the leader's prone form over onto his back, "Well, he'll be out for a while."

Hiren fixed his hair, which had gotten a few split ends from the incident, as he walked toward Ayase, "Are you all right?"

Ayase nodded, looking at the bodies, "yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"If you're sure," he said, looking over his shoulder, "Yoku, any left?"

Yoku shook his head, "Nope, they're all knocked out." Hiren nodded, turning and walking past Ayase. He came back moments later with their bookbags. He threw Yoku his, and handed Ayase's hers, "Here, you dropped this." She took it, turning at the sound of the principal's voice, "What is going on out here?"

Ayase pointed to the bodies that littered the ground, "Those men came onto the property, and asked some questions. When I didn't answer, they assualted me." She pointed to Yoku and Hiren, "My friends here stepped in on my behalf."

The principal looked over the fallen group slowly, then switched his gaze to Yoku and Hiren, "Hmm...All right you two, I'll let it pass this time since you were helping her, but don't let it become a habit." He turned and headed back toward the school, calling back to them, "Don't worry about them, I'll call the police to come fetch them."

Hiren calle dout to him, Thank you sir! We'll make sure it doesn't happen again!" Under his breath could be heard the words "On school grounds." but Ayase ignored that. She turned toward Hiren and Yoku, "Thank you, both of you."

Hiren waved her off, "Don't worry, it was nothing."

Ayase came up smiling, "But still, thank you." She went towards the gate, "I better get home, see you tomorrow guys." She was right past the gate when Hiren's voice was heard, "You gonna be okay? Need an escort home or anything?"

She turned around, smiling, "No, but thank you for the offer. I should be fine." She hurried off, leaving a rather downtrodden Hiren to walk home with Yoku as company.

The next day, at school.

"What!?" was Seiji's first response after hearing what had happened the day before. Ayase had just finished relating the story. Hiren and Yoku stood, Miyahara nd Lucy were on a bench, hunched forward in interest.

Lucy jumped up, clutching Ayase in a rather intimate hug, "Oh, Ayase!!! I wish I had been there to help you!!!" Ayase pushed off her, "I was fine, I was pefectly fine, Lucy! Hiren and Yoku both helped."

Seiji looked at them, "Really?" Hiren and Yoku smiled, nodded. Seiji sighed in relief, "Well, thank you. You're good guys."

Hiren smiled, "Thank you, we try our best." Seiji raised an eyebrow, causing Hiren to ask him, "Hm, what is it?"

Seiji shook his head, "Sorry, its nothing."

Hiren shrugged, "Ok, whatever." He walked into the classroom as the bell rang, followed by everyone else. They each took their seats. The teacher had switched Yoku and Hiren's seats since the day before. Lucy sat to Yoku's right, Ayase to Hiren's left, and Seiji still near the window.

The class went quick, and lunch rolled by. Seiji and Hiren were alone on the roof. Ayase had left her lunch in her basket, Miyahara had offered to treat Lucy to whatever she wanted so they had left the schoolgrounds for lunch, and god only knows where Yoku had wandered off to.

Seiji turned his head towards Hiren, "Hey, I had a question."

Hiren looked at him, "Hm? What is it?"

"Earlier, when I was looking at you. I saw something in your eyes."

"Oh, really?" He said, cocking an eyebrow, "You have a girlfriend, so I didn't think you'd swing like that. Thanks, but I don't-" He was cut off by Seiji, "no no no no no no, not like that!"

He calmed down, "No, I saw a kind of sadness. The kind of sadness I use to have," He looked Hiren in the eye, "Before I met Midori."

Hiren took an alloof face, "Yes, I thought that might be what it was. I always mess up on hiding it at some times."

Seiji looked at him, "Hiding what, if I may ask?"

"Its nothing," Hiren said non-chalantly, "I've just never had luck with girls."

Seiji smiled, "Is that all?" Seiji shook his head, "Don't worry man, you'll catch one eventually. Besides, if I was able to, then you can easily!"

Hiren shook his head, "No, I doubt that. You have to try to get a girlfriend to get one," He smiled, "And being pessimistic doesn't really help much, haha. Neither does insanity, but hey, who's counting?"

Seiji laughed, "See what I mean? You got a great personality, you're handsome, you could get any girl you wanted probably."

Hiren shook his head, "Looks and personality might help, but they aren't what determine how one feels about you. Its the impression they have of you thats most important, and I always manage to fuck up, and give them an impression that isn't mine." He slumped against the fence aop the roof, a sad look on his face. Ayase opened the door to the roof and walked towards them, waving, "Hey, sorry I'm late! Look who I found!"

A small girl, with black hair held back by a dotted hankchief, walked out from behind Ayase. She waved at Hiren, but glared at Seiji.

Hiren's face had taken a smile as its own, which looked completely normal, like it belonged there, "Well, ello there."

"Hiren, this is Nao, Nao this is Hiren. He moved here before school started." Nao just nodded.

"I haven't seen you here before," Hiren noted, taking a drink from a water bottle he had on him.

"Nao works with scientists a lot," Ayase noted, pulling out her lunch, "She's very smart, smarter than everyone at this school, in fact."

"Really? I honestly thought it would be you." Hiren said conversationally.

Ayase choked on her food slightly, "Huh!? W-what? No, I may be smart and active in the classes and schools affairs, but I'm nothing compared to Nao's brain." She laughed, scratching the back of her head.

Hiren smiled, "If you say so."

A half hour later, they were back in class. Yoku had stayed in class, finishing some math work he had neglected to do the night before. The day went by fast. After school.

"Man, Friday is such an awesome day!" Seiji said, smiling, "Not only that, its a three day weekend too!"

"Hiren, I gotta stop by the store. We need a few leeks, plus some other things." Yoku said, walking down a path.

Hiren nodded, "All right, I'll see you back at the house." A bus of girls went past him, drawing his attention, "...maybe..." He waved at Ayase and Seiji, before following the buses direction which, incidentally, was in the direction of their home. Yoku hung and shook his head, continuing his trek to the store.

It was almost an hour later. Hiren had lost track of the bus, after running after it for close to forty minutes.

"Freaking highways..." He heard a motorcycle coming up from behind him, still quite some distance away. Not thinking much of it, he moved over to the right, and kept walking. The motorcycle picked up speed, which was noticeable by the sound of a revving engine and the sound of it getting closer at a faster pace.

"Hey buddy!!!" At the sound of a man's voice, Hiren turned just in front of a lightpole. He felt the flat metal of a shovel being hefted like a bat, at what was somewhere between 30-40 miles per hour, collide with his face. The force of this blow caused the back of his head to smash against the lightpole.

Hiren heard the sound of a screeching pair of tires, followed by some hurried running. He saw a shadow through his half-closed eyes, a man standing over him. As his conciousness started to fade, he barely made out the man's words.

"Your crime; Messing with Yoshino the Aka No Ou, the Crimson King, of the Legendary Bloods!" He slipped into unconciousness for a moment, coming back just in time to hear, "...You plead?" He slipped into unconciousness once more, hanging on by a hair's breath. The man's last words echoed in his head, as conciousness slipped away, to be replaced with an inky darkness.

"Guilty? Good choice, Motherfucker!"

* * *

Well, how did you like it?

My friend told me this is the best fanfiction I've done, and I'm thinking he might be right.

Which is scary, since we're both insane...

* * *


	3. Trauma

Well, Here's The Third Chapter...

* * *

:Trauma:

Hiren's mind was fluttering in and out of conciousness, short bursts of pain grooming their way along under his skull whenever he woke. He lacked the capacity to open his eyes, everytime he did a blinding, unknown source of light caused more pain, which in turn knocked his unconcious again. Time passed. The few moments he could hold a thought, he thought of very few things. One of the most prominent being the time. How long had it been since he'd been on his way to walk home? Hours? Days? Weeks? He kept trying to stay concious, if only long enough to catch a few minute sentences from his captors.

"Hey, boss," Came a voice during one of these intervals, "What're we gonna do when he wakes up?"

"Well, first we're using these pliers to rip his-" the voice was cut off as Hiren tried to open his eyes, only to be assaulted by light emanating from the ceiling. Darkness succumber him once more. Time passed again, as he came back from the brink of death, he could hear voices again.

"Oiiii, Yoshi-Kun!!!" Came a female voice, a pouting mocking tone on her lips, "Why isn't he awake yet?"

"Don't worry, it isn't even Satu-" Hiren's world became dark once more, this time from moving his head out of an uncomfortable position. Time passed, the outside world going on, as Hiren's world remained unchanged. The same, inky, thick, darkness he had become accustomed to. He heard the voices again, this time he was caught unaware. He had no recollection of regaining conciousness, and this seemed to scare him more than knowing he might lapse back into the darkness.

"Ah, this is taking forever! Someone get me some water!" There was a large scuffling of feet, loud enough to Hiren to make him cringe, his mind working to deafen the noise. He heard walking, nice, smooth, calm walking.

The cold water splashed onto his face quickly, no warning. Hiren's eyes flew open in surprise from the icy chill it sent up and down his body. The blinding light unleashed its havoc upon Hiren's eyes instantly, making him breath in a quick gasp, his eyes scrunching to keep the light out.

"Hey, dim the lights!" Through his eyelids, Hiren could see the room's source of sight supplying light diminish. He shook his head, opening his eyes to welcome the spinning, tilt-a-whirl world he could now see. He gazed around, blinking uncontrollably. The room around him was plain, the chair he was in, another chair across from him, and a small couch in a corner. Looking up, he could see a lamp hanging from the ceiling. He knew there was a switch somewhere, but didn't care much to find it at that moment. He looked up, breathing, "Who..." He succumbed to a fit of coughs, hacking out the settlement of mucus that had decided to make him a home.He shook his ehad again, "Who...are you..." He felt pain in his head, as he worked to form words. He looked up, seeing a man standing before him. A pair of dark blue jeans greeted him, a long sleeve navy blue shirt covered the man's chest. His goatee was shaven close, a pair of dark sunglasses resting easily on his face. He lifted them, smiling, "Well well, look who has finally woken up." As the man spoke, Hiren noticed a trickle of liquid that ran down his back, his spine tingling from its touch.

Hiren tried to bring his arms from behind him, finding they were tied tightly. He strained his arms a moment, before stopping, darkness threatening his exitence again. He took a deep breath, trying to settle the spinning room, "Who are you...and why am...I...here..." He squinted as the light started to brighten.

"Yoshino, Akano No Ou of the Legendary Bloods," Yoshino said, bowing in a mocking style, "At your service."

Hiren smiled, "Ah, I see now. You're that guy from before, the one who couldn't stand up to my friend and I for a single minute, even when you outnumbered us." He felt the sting of Yoshino's fist, as it grazed his chin. He lowered his head, letting the spinning slow before he looked back up to hear Yoshino, "You little bitch, that was a fluke!" He said defensively.'

Hiren smiled, unable to hold himself back, "Heh, your mom said the same thing about you." WHACK! Another grazing hit, more spinning. The light had now come on to full blast, and while it still hurt to keep his eyes open, Hiren found it was bearable now.

"You need to shut up, before I do something I regret," Yoshino said, smiling, "I want to enjoy torturing you."

"Oh, you love pain. Like Mom like son, eh?." Hiren said quickly, smiling just before he felt the fist connect with his gut. He felt his breath escape him, as he lapsed out of conciousness, the spinning, whirling shadows on the ground his last image.

Consciousness returned gradually, he could see Yoshino sitting on the couch out of his peripheral vision. He kept his eyes open, staying still as Yoshino spoke to the person beside him.

"Karen-chan, what do you think I should do to this asshole when he wakes up next?" He said, a light tone to his voice, as he spoke, "What kinda torture do you think he deserves?"

Aisu saw Karen's hand go up to her lips, as she pursed them in thought, "Hmmm, oh, I don't know Yoshi-Kun..." She jumped slightly, excited, "Oh, oh, how about pulling his nails off, one by one?"

"Ooooh, I love it," Yoshino said, his hand going down to to her waist and pulling her close, "Although, I love you more." Karen giggled, "Oh Yoshi-Kun, we shouldn't do it in here. What if that guy saw us?"

Yoshino's hand waved non-chalantly at Hiren, "He's out cold, that little bitch ain't nothing special!" He said in a self congratulating tone. Karen smiled, giggling as Yoshino's hands worked their way down her back. Coming around, the buttons of her blouse came off slowly, as they kissed. His hand slipped into her open blouse, grasping her tightly. A small gasp came from her, as her hands moved for his pants.

Hiren coughed slightly, "Hehem. I'm sorry, but if you could get a room that isn't occupied, that would be great." Yoshino turned around, his pants half undone. He quickly fixed them. Karen gasped, clutching the sides of her blouse together, "What the hell, Yoshi-Kun, I thought you said he was out cold!?" She said, a whining tone taking full precedence while she spoke, "What're we gonna do now?"

Yshino motioned toward the door, growling out his sentence, "Get out, Karen-Chan, I'll meet you in my bed in a moment." Karen left, stopping at the door to flick her tongue out quickly at Hiren, before exiting and leaving through a set of stairs.

Yoshino walked up to Hiren, bending to grab his chin, "You got a lot of nerve, bitch."

Hiren smiled, "Well, why shouldn't I? My friend Yoku will find this place eventually, and you'll find him a much greater nuisance than me, I assure." Yoshino walked out in disgust, stopping at the door, "You better hope you're right. I'm going to kill you on Monday." He walked out, shutting and locking the door from the outside. Hiren sighed, as he looked at the ceiling.

"Well, time to think of a plan." He thought of a econd, before realization hit him, "That liquid could only be...blood..." He slumped his head, "Shit."

Yoku looked at the rack of magazines in the store. He was wearing a pair of light blue jeans, with a plain sleeveless shirt covering his chest. He picked one up, it read 'Shojo Beat' across its front. He set it back, shaking his head, "I still don't get why Hiren reads that..." He walked up to the counter, carrying a cooking book. Setting it down, he rifled through his wallet in search of the right amount. He set it on the counter, hearing someone's voice, "Oh, hey Yoku!"

Yoku turned, seeing Seiji, Midori, Miyahara, Nao, Ayase, and Lucy, all in a group. Seiji wore jeans and t-shirt, Nao wore a dark blue flower print dress, Miyahara was wearing a pair of khaki shorts with t-shirt, Ayase had on a green skirt that reached to her knees with matching top, Midori had on a dark yellow dress,, and Lucy wore a shorter blue skirt, with matching top, an American flag bandana holding her hair back from her face.

Yoku raised his hand in greeting, "Oh, hey, whats up?" He pocketed the change the cashier handed him, taking his bag off the counter, "What're you all doing here?"

Seiji pointed his thumb up, using it to point out an arcade down the street, "We were going over to the arcade, celebrate Lucy coming back for another year and all."

You're celebrating at an arcade?" Yoku asked doubtfully, his eyebrow high. Lucy smiled, saying hyperactively, "Of course an arcade! There are so many lights! Flashing, spinning, blinking, flashing, changing colors, and oh! Did I mention the flashing!?" She had gotten steadily closer to Yoku, and now eyed him from a few mere inches away, "Do you wanna come too, Yoku?" Yoku nodded, as he backed up a step, "Um, yeah, sure. I had nothing else to do today."

Seiji smiled, "All right, lets go guys." They wer about to walk off, when Nao motioned for them to stop, standing in front of them. Ayase cocked her head, "Huh? Nao, what is it?"

Nao brought a picture from her pocket, holding it up. In the picture was Seiji, Ayase, Yoku, Lucy, Hiren, Miyahara, and Nao. She ppointed to Hiren, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh, I get it," Ayase said, looking at Yoku, "What about Hiren, would he like to come?"

Yoku looked dumbfounded for a second, "Hiren..." He looked around, "Speaking of which, where is he anyways?" Ayase looked at hi increduously, "What? How do you not know where he is?"

Yoku smiled sheepishly, "Well, I haven't seen him since yesterday, when we left the school in different directions."

"What?" Ayase asked hesitantly, "Um, what do you mean? Is he all right?"

Yoku shook his head, "No, no, he disappears for weekends at a time a lot, he always comes back before school starts." He smiled, "If anything, he's probably in jail for being adulterous with high school girls somewhere and the police misstook him for an adult again."

Yoku laughed, along with everyone else in the group. Ayase looked startled a moment, before joining in with the laughter of the group. They walked on, heading for the arcade. Lucy grabbed ahold of Miyahara, dragging him into a photo booth the instant they got through the door. Nao and Ayase were looking around a moment, while Seiji stood next to Midori smiling as she tried to figure out what to play first. Yoku was playing a game of whack-a-mole, when Midori decided on playing a racing game against Seiji. All in all, it was great fun, and they were there for a few hours, when they got out it was about six PM.

Ayase and Nao ran off quickly, something about making dinner. Seiji gave a thumbs up to Miyahara as he volunteered to walk Lucy home. Yoku extended his hand to Seiji, "Hey, thanks for inviting me."

"No problem, it was fun," Seiji said, taking the hand in his own. His eyes showed surprise a moment, before he released the hand, putting his hand around Midori's shoulder, "See ya later Yoku. C'mon Midori, I'm walking you home." Midori snuggled into Seiji's cradling arm, as Yoku walked the opposite direction, carrying the bag that held his cookbook.

Seiji gave Midri a light peck on her forehead, saying, "Good night, Midori." before she closed the door. Seiji walked away from the front gate of Midori's home, taking a few turns before he reached into his pocket, pulling out a scrap of paper. It was the paper Yoku had handed him earlier when they shook hands, and now he read it.

_Seiji, Meet Here_

Below the small message was an address, that Seiji recognized easily. He walked off, heading for the spot.

When he arrived, he found Yoku waiting for him, standing under a streetlight. Seiji walked up to him, "So, whats this about?"

Yoku sighed, "I need your help," He thought a second, "Well, actually, Hiren needs your help, to be exact."

Seiji looked at him, "What? What do you mean?" Yoku sighed, "Walk with me, please."

Seiji followed while Yoku strode down the street, taking a turn here and there, "Seiji, earlier I said he disappears for weekends at a time, that is true," Yoku looked at a streetsign, passing it and heading for the next one, "But whenever he does disappear, he always leaves a note, explaining why."

"He didn't this time though, so I thought he might have been out buying a new book," Yoku chuckled, "Hehe, we can both get forgetful about the time when we're trying to find a new book, you see. Well, this morning, he hadn't come back yet, so I checked the streets surrounding the house we're sharing," Yoku looked down a road, recognition crossing his face, "Ah, here we are."

Seiji looked down the street, "What is it?"

Yoku walked, heading for a streetlight, "Well, in my search, I found this," He stopped, pointing at the ground. At the foot of the streetlamp, there was a small puddle of blood, its shape conforming as it worked its way down the slightly sloping road.

Seiji looked in surprise at Yoku, "You...don't mean he..."

"I didn't mention it earlier, because then Ayase, nao and all themm would've wanted to help, " He shook his head, "I'm not one to risk the lifes of others unnecesarily, you see."

Seiji nodded, "Good, and thank you." He took a quick look at the blood, "How do we know this is Hiren's, though?"

Yoku looked grimfaced, "I took a sample home, and checked it on my computer. It is definitely his all right."

Yoku looked up at Seiji, his face dead serious, "If he disappeared Friday, we have until Monday night to find him. I doubt he'd live with a blow of this calibur for any longer than a few days."

Seiji looked alarmed, "Then we can't waste time! We gotta find him!"

"Don't worry, I've already found him," Yoku said nonchalantly, "Well, I've found out who kidnapped him, to be exact."

Seiji took a deep breath, "Really? Who was it?"

"Someone who goes by the name of Yoshino Engi," Yoku said, Seiji's jaw dropping, "Seiji, what is it? Do you know him?"

Seiji nodded, "Know him? Yeah, I know him..." He gulped, "He's the only gang member my sister could never beat to a bloody pulp."

Yoku tilted his head, "Uhm...ok..." He shook his head, "Whatever, you can explain later. Do you know where he is?"

"No, but I know someone who does," Seiji said, looking around, "We need a payphone."

Yoku motioned down the street, "C'mon, I saw one down there earlier." They walked off, Seiji racking his brain for the right number.

Hiren looked up as the door opened. Yoshino stood there, a pair of pliers in his hands. He smiled, "Well then, shall we play?"

"Only if you follow the rules. I had enough cheating after your mom last night." The pliers hit his face, Yoshino yelling, "You shut your bitch mouth!!!"

Hiren laughed, "hahaha, you know, getting angry so easily isn't smart. Someone could really use it to their advantage."

Yoshino's face was red with anger as he picked the pliers up off the ground, "Shut the hell up, you're getting annoying! By now, most people would be begging me to let them go."

Hiren tilted his head, bringing his shoulders up in a huff, "Well, I'm not mpost people. Being a part of my family, I've learned a lot in the way of dealing with people like you."

"Whatever, I don't care if the Yakuza themselves trained you, no teenager can stand this torture for long." The pliers went down to his right pinky finger, grasping onto the tip and sides of the nail. Tightening his grip, he pulled slowly, smiling maniacally, "Let's see what you're made of, shall we?"

He felt the threadlike particles of skin holding his nail in place begin to tear. His pinky shook, trying to get away, but Yoshino held his wrist firmly. Hiren's breath became ragged, as his brain began registering pain it didn't like. Every nerve in his body screamed, some trying to run, others trying to hit Yoshino and end it once and for all but were stopped by the rope bindings, and still others screamed trying to pump more blood to quiet and calm the nerves from before, but this caused an even greater uproar as blood spilled out the back of his head. His jaw quivered as he tried not to cry out in pain. Air. Cold, stale air hit the skin under his pinky nail, the sensation sending such a chill, such a pain, up his nerves he couldn't hold back, "AAAAARRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fuck!!!!!"

The nail was off, its remnants nothing more than a few particles. A shiver went down his spine, as he heard the faint click of pliers opening and closing, "Now then, that ring finger is looking pretty heavy. Whatdo you say we lighten its loud a little?"

Hiren braced himself for the soon to be painful event. This was going to be a long night.

Seiji and Yoku stood in front of a store, drinking a can of juice each. Yoku looked at Seiji on his left, "Sawamura, why're we waiting here?"

"She has to fly in, when she arrives she'll show us where he could be." Seiji said, taking a sip from his can, "Although her fat ass is running late."

He flinched as a feminine yet devil-like hand clenched his head, a demonicly sweet voice echoing behind him, "Oh, _who_ was running late, eh?" Yoku shivered at the voice, birds flew off squawking in terror, dogs whined pitifully, and somewhere in the world a small child's mind was raped by the fact that such a being could exist.

Seiji turned as best he could, "Ooh, um, h-h-h-hhiii, Sister...eheeh..ehehe...ohmygoddon'thurtmeIswearitwasjustajoke!!!" He screamed out wuickly, flinching in fear.

Rin released Seiji, getting a sigh of relief, "C'mon kid, lets find this friend of yours." She looked at Yoku, "He's being held by Yoshino, right?"

Yoku nodded, "If what the old guy said is true, then yes."

"Are you sure its Yoshino, though?" Rin asked again, her mind whirring with possibilities.

Yoku nodded, "Yes. The old man who I got the video from recognized him."

Rin nodded, "Then come on, theres only one place Yoshino would take someone to torture them."

"Wheres that, Rin?" Seiji asked, looking at her. She turned, throwing him a thumbs up and smiling, "You'll see."

She walked off, Yoku and Seiji following silently.

Hiren looked dazedly up at Yoshino, who was smiling. The pliers opened again, a third nail falling.

"Three nails over a time period of six hours. You're lucky I got called up to work, or else all ten of them would be gone." Hiren looked lazily down at his right hand, which was now missing three nails. His breathing was raggard, heavy. The restricting ropes bore down on his lungs, as he gasped for air. He felt the blood openly rushing from him now, running down his back.

A knock came at the door, followed by a voice which seemed slightly scared, "Hey, uhm..uh Boss? You've got a g-guest..."

Yoshino turned around, going towards the door, "Who the hell would look for me down here?" When he opened the door, the friendly hello that emanated was puntuated by a rather large crack as a female's fist connected with Yoshino's face. He flew down into the ground, trying to get up only to be kept down by a male's foot on the back of his head. With a slight amount of pressure, he was incapacitated for a moment. Hiren looked at the three people who had walked into the room. Seiji, Yoku, and some female stood in front of him.

"Thanks Rin, I'd have never thought of looking here," Seiji said, to which the female, Rin, responded, "You're damn right, now hurry up, we need to get out of here." Seiji was already untying Hiren, and when he finished Yoku draped Hiren over his shoulder with a grunt, "Damn fatass..."

Hiren felt the bouncing of muscles under him, as Yoku moved, walking up a flight of stairs. Seiji and Rin followed. Once outside, he felt the wind across his face. Nice, cool, leaf clogged wind, hitting his face. The sun, while covered by clouds, was a welcome sign that he was all right. He heard

He felt more walking, as Yoku started toward some unknown destination. Seiji was dragged off by Rin, who yelled something about paying for her flight. Hiren smiled as he lapsed into a dreamy, easy unconcious.

Hiren rubbed the back of his head, his pale skin bright in the midday sun. It was monday, and school would start again in less than 12 hours. He sighed, as he started walking away from the hospital area, "I hate the sun..." he said to noone in particular.

The doctor had told him to relax, not to move much at all. If he followed these orders, he should be able to go to school that Monday. He sighed as he remembered this, "Of course I'm told this on a school holiday..." He stopped a moment, thinking, "...Wait a moment, why the hell are we out of school anyways?"

"Townwide teacher inservice day," Came a female voice from behind him. Turning, he saw Midori, her bright yellow dress making his black jeans and grey shirt seem even duller. He stared at her a moment, before he calmly said, "You're...someone I should know..."

She smiled, "Kasugano Midori, we haven't spoken much yet." She smiled as they stood apart, facing each other. They stood like that for a moment, before Midori ran off, smiling, "Well, see ya later!" Hiren stood there a moment longer, before turning and leaving, saying out loud to himself, "Well, that was strange and unexpected. Almost like someone writing a story just felt one of the main characters who hadn't actually spoken for a while should be given some airtime..." He shook his head, "I think I'm going insane..." He opened his eyes as he stopped, the world around him spinning. When the spinning stopped, he walked again, saying out loud, "Note to self: Do Not Shake Head."

Hiren closed his eyes, letting the world settle a moment as he walked. He opened them again, only to be knocked into by a rogue metal railing. He lay silently on the road, thinking to himself a moment. He sighed, coming to one conclusion, "This is going to be a long walk home..."

* * *

Well, Thats The End...


	4. Masquerade

Well, Here's Chapter Four!

* * *

:Masquerade:

"What happened to you!?" Ayase's voice was high, as she looked at Hiren. Bandaging wrapped around the back of his head, covering his forehead to remain attached. Bandaging also dominated his middle, ring and pinky fingers on his right hand, extending up to his elbow. His bookbag in his left hand was thrown across his back, as he stared at Ayase calmly, "What did you do over the weekend!?"

Hiren stared at her a moment, "Um...well, you see..." He sighed, "Its kind of hard to explain..."

Her arms folded in front of her, her gaze threatening, "Oh really. Please, give it your best shot."

Hiren looked at her a moment, his left hand rubbing a small coin as he thought. Suddenly, a bell rang, and with that he shot past Ayase, calling back, "Oh would you look at the time! Better get to class!"

She sighed, shaking her head as she started for the class as well.

Hiren watched the door to the roof, his back to the steel fence that kept him from leaning too far and falling over the edge. Seiji sat to his left, Yoku to his right. His face was a sort of apathetic sadness, as he kept his eyes on the door, his food going untouched.

Seiji looked at him, chewing a clump of fish and rice, "Hey, Kuragari. Whats wrong man?"

"I have this horrible feeling that Ayase is going to be mad at me..." He said, his eyes still watching the door.

"What? Why?" Seiji asked, taking a bite of fish.

"Well, you see..." Hiren said, scratching his head, "She saw my bandages obviously, and asked what had happened. I didn't tell her, choosing to instead run as soon as the bell rang."

Seiji nodded, "Ok...now, why would she be mad?"

"Seiji, you have a girlfriend, and yet you don't know this?" Hiren asked, looking at him, "Girls, whether they're dating you or not, can't stand to see a friend hurt and not know what happened." He pointed towards the door, "You watch. She'll walk through that door, and the first thing she'll say is going to be something about how whatever my reasons are, keeping the truth from her isn't the right thing to do. Or something along those lines, anyways."

Seiji looked up at the sound of a door opening. Ayase walke donto the roof, Miyahara and Lucy following. Seiji heard Hiren whisper to Yoku, "Sorry about this, its the only way." To which Yoku replied with a lazy, "Huh? What?"

Ayase stood in front of them, looking at Hiren, "Now listen here. I don't care what happened. If you lost a fight or something, I don't care. All I want is to know what happened."

Hiren pointed at Yoku, saying calmly, "He did it." Yoku choked n his food, sputtering out quickly, "W-what!!? Like hell it was me!"

Ayase eyed him coldly, to which he shrunk down in fear. She turned around, heading for the door, "Thank you for telling me, Kuragari. I'm going to go get a drink, I'll be right back."

Lucy and Miyahara watched her leave, before Lucy jumped Miyahara from behind, dragging him to the ground playfully. Seiji looked at Hiren, "Hey, you just..."

"I know what you're gonna say, and I had to." Hiren said, watching the sky, "If I had told her that it was the guy she accidentally ran into, she would've thought it was her fualt. I'd rather not have her thinking that."

Seiji thought for a moment, "I get it, but what if she finds out some other way?"

"Then, I guess I'll be royally screwed." Hiren said, smiling, "Don't worry about it, I have plenty of plans for that."

Seiji was about to speak when Lucy ambushed him, dragging him down to the ground alongside Miyahara. She tickled the two of them, calling out gleefully, "Say it! Say it!"

"We give! Uncle! Uncle!" They both said, to which Lucy smiled triumphantly, standing victoriously. Hiren and Yoku smiled, laughing at this spectacle. Ayase returned, and saw Lucy standing victoriously. She shook her head, smiling as she walked over sat down, and ate her meal.

Hiren sat up straight, still chuckling slightly, "Oh, you guys are a riot...uh-oh!" He looked at Yoku, "Yoku, did you finish the papers I sent you for the 30th?"

Yoku sat up, "Yeah, I think I did. Its back at the house, we just need to take them to the guy in charge."

Hiren nodded, "Ok, good. I completely forgot about that."

Yoku nodded, "Yeah, I haven't even thought of it since last week."

Ayase still ate, but she now watched Hiren and Yoku, "Umh, what're you two talking about?"

Hiren looked at her, cocking his head, "Hm? Oh, about the papers?" She nodded, Hiren continuing, "Oh, I needed Yoku to fill out some papers for a Masquerade Ball going on this month."

Ayase choked slightly, "Wait, what?" Miyahara, Lucy, and Seiji had all stopped, and now listened intently. They leaned in towards Hiren slightly as Ayase finished, "Why are you two filling out papers for a Ball?"

Hiren waved nonchalantly, "Oh, we owed the guy running it a favor, and we're the best people he knows that can write up legal documents. For free, anyways, their budgets lower this year."

Ayase's jaw went slack, "Huh?" She shook her head, "Whats this ball called, anyways?"

"Oh, its being put on by Juuyou Sankounin," Hiren said, speaking offhandedly, "its called...Gansaku Bon'Odori, or something."

Ayase's eyes were beyond huge, Seiji's mouth was so wide a small bird of prey could make its nest there, and Miyahara had actually fainted, the proof of this coming as Lucy yelling, "Miyahara! Whats wrong!?"

She looked at Ayase and Seiji, "Hey you two, why're you acting like this?"

Ayase gathered her composure, "Lucy, the Gansaku Bon'Odori is this city's number one dance festival! Its been compared to the **Awaodori!**"

Lucy looked surprised, "Really!?" Her eyes sparkled brightly, "Oooooh, I've always wanted to attend the Awaodori! I've heard so much about it!"

Seiji still couldn't speak.

Ayase looked at Hiren, "How did you two end up owing juuyou Sankounin a favor, anyways?"

"Oh, he helped us obtain high paying jobs," Hiren said, as he stood up, "The bells about to ring." He and Yoku started toward the door. Right as they reached it, the bell signaling class would be starting in five minutes rang. Ayase wrapped her food up, Miyahara and Lucy following suit. Yoku had already gone down, while Hiren had stayed, keeping the door open for them. He smiled, bowing slightly as the three of them passed through the door, following after them.

Seiji still remained motionless on the roof, his eyes seemingly in a daze. For a few minutes, nothing. Then...

CRACK

The blonde haired, atomically charged nuke that was Lucy collided with him, her voice high as she dragged him to class, "Seiji! Don't be late!!!" Had the blunt force trauma not knocked him unconscious, he might have answered her.

Ayase tried to focus on the teacher, who was saying something about history, but she couldn't pry her eyes off of Hiren. Her attention had been attracted by a low snore, one she doubt anyone else had heard. When she had turned to wake him up, she found his pencil was moving, and that he had plenty of notes. His eyes unblinkingly stared at the teacher. Once in a while he would switch pencils, retrieving a sharper one from his bag when his current one got too dull. No matter how much she rolled the idea through her head, it just didn't make sense. He was doing everything as if he was perfectly wide awake, but she still got the feeling he was asleep.

She leaned back, looking at Yoku. It was quite plain he was asleep, but he was silent, not a single snore escaped him. She shook her head, looking back at the teacher. She looked in shock at the board, which no longer held the notes they were supposed to be writing down. She hung her head, feeling like an idiot. Then she heard it again. A snore. Not just a snore, a snore from right next to her. Her head twisted to the right, but Hiren still had his eyes on the teacher, following him as he moved through the class.

She shook her head, thinking she was crazy. She looked up as the phone rang, the teacher answering, "Moshi Moshi?" His head nodded a few times, "Yes, I'll tell them."

"Kuragari, Hissatsu, a man by the name of Juuyou Sankounin wishes for you to call him after school has ended."

Hiren nodded, "Ok, thank you Sensei."

The teacher began his lecture again, stopping suddenly. His mouth was open for a few seconds, before, "...Juuyou...San...kounin..." realization dawned on his mind, every kid in the rooms eyes widening at the exact same time. En masse, the whole of the class turned in unison, looking at Hiren and Yoku.

Hiren's eyes looked across the class, as he pushed his desk back a few inches. A sweatdrop escaped his forehead, "Um...yes?"

Suddenly, the classroom erupted into noise. Questions flew at Hiren, who had taken refuge behind his desk.

"How do you know Juuyou Sankounin!!?"

"Where did you meet him!?"

"Is he as awesome in person as they say he is in the magazines!!?"

"Is he married!?" Hiren eyed the boy who had said this for a moment, as did the whole class. He stammered out, "Um...for my Mom, you see..."

The questions started again, this time Hiren couldn't even understand what they were saying. He looked for a way to escape, but stopped when he looked at Yoku, whose body hadn't moved at all. He was in fact asleep, but he now seemed to twitch slightly. Hiren's eyes widened at this, as he motioned for everyone to quiet down, "Stop, please, stop talking!" He looked back at Yoku, his eyes growing as Yoku slowly started to move more and more, his hands covering his ears from the noise. Hiren shuffled through his bag, throwing a pair of earplugs to Ayase. He motioned for her to put them in, as he put his pair in. She didn't quite understand, but decided to play it safe.

Yoku's eyes burst open as the noise escalated, his form rising, "IF YOU DO NOT BECOME SILENT THIS INSTANT, I WILL RIP OUT YOUR THROAT, FORCE FEED IT TO YOU, AND DO SO REPEATEDLY UNTIL ALL OF YOU HAVE EATEN AND WATCHED EVERYONE ELSE EAT EVERYONE'S THROAT MUSCLES!!!" His eyes bore a fiery hatred in them, as the class hit the hall running from the fear he had instilled in them. He glared at them a moment longer, before closing his eyes and returning to his sleeping state.

Hiren sighed gratefully, pulling his earplugs out, "Oh, that was close..."

Seiji's wide-eyed face was comical as he inched towards Hiren, whispering in a low voice, "What the hell was that?"

"That was the result of waking up Yoku," Hiren said, sighing, "When he hasn't slept in over a week." Hiren nodded, "Shall we continue with today's lesson? Also, please stay quiet..." He motioned towards Yoku, "For certain reasons, obviously." The rest of that class period, everyone scoot just a little forward constantly, everyone except Hiren and Ayase jumping when Yoku made a sound, for Hiren was used to Yoku falling asleep, and Ayase knew Yoku was far more scared of her than she was of him. The bell rang out, the students filing out of class. Yoku's head popped up, causing a mass hysteria. Yoku turned his head sleepily, raising his hand in a gesture to Hiren, "Yo."

"Whats up?" Hiren said, slinging his bag across his back, "Juuyou wanted us to call him." Yoku nodded, as he picked his own bag up.

As they started out of the classroom, Hiren pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, dialing a number.

Ayase looked around the next morning, waving her hand, "Kuragari! Hissatsu!" Hiren and Yoku waved back, as they shambled through the school gates. Seiji nodded towards them, as they got closer, "Hey guys, whats up?"

Hiren shrugged, "Today has been pretty good so far." Yoku nodded, "Yeah, not too bad of a morning for once."

They conversed for a while, making their way to the class as the bell rang. The teacher finished writing on the board as they walked in. The board read clearly, "List Of Ideas"

Once class had begun, the teacher raised his voice, "Allright then, the time has come for us to make a decision. Our curriculum has suggested we use a field trip to increase our learning capacity, and I was hoping that we could make a choice as a class." Almost instantly hands went up, suggestions such as a trip to Kyoto, a competition invloving prizes, and a story contest were all brought up, in addition to others. Hiren scratched his chin, thinking, "Hmm, it might work..."

Ayase smiled, nodding toward the board, "Whatever it is, offer it as an idea." Hiren nodded, raising his hand, "What about the Gansaku Bon'Odori?" The teacher's eyes widened, everyone growing quiet, "Hmm, I suppose. Its quite expensive, though, I doubt we could get in."

Hiren waved him off, "Yoku and I can take care of that."

The teacher thought a second, "Very well. All in favor of attending the Gansaku Bon'Odori, raise your hand." If there had been no ceiling, then the entire class would have surely floated off into space.

By the end of the day, Hiren had explained everything he knew about the Ball. Its theme was based on Western styles, which could range from America to France. It was to take place on the 30th, inside of an old large mansion, and all they had to do was show the passes to the man at the front door, and they would be let in. That entire day consisted of everyone speaking of what they intended to wear, some looking for ideas.

Seiji walked over to Hiren and Yoku, "Hey, would you be able to get a pass for Midori too?" Hiren nodded, "Of course, I thought you might ask." Seiji nodded, "Thanks. Now, I need to figure out what to where."

"A little suggestion," Hiren said, motining towards him, "Wait and see what Midori's wearing, before you make a decision." Seiji nodded, "You're right, actually. Oh hey, what're you two wearing?"

Yoku hit his chest proudly, "I'll be wearing the suit my father wore to his wedding, and the Immortal's mask from 300."

Seiji nodded, "What about you, Kuragari?"

Hiren thought a moment, "Hmm, I'm not quite sure..." He shrugged, "Eh, I'll figure something out."

The school day flew by, as did the following two and a half weeks. Hiren no longer needed to wear bandages, and the day of the Gansaku Bon'Odori had finally arrived. Midori wore a dark green elegant dress, Ayase in her dark red dress standing next to her. Their hair was done up majesticly, their make-up a beautiful combination. Lucy walked around the corner of the school, an exquisite blue dress adorned with gold and silver ornaments, her hair held down as the dress' companion. They all looked at each other, smiling.

"Oh, Ayase!" Lucy started, "You're so beautiful!"

Ayase shook her head, "Thank you, but you look much better than me." Lucy shook her head, "No, you and Midori look like Angels!"

Midori blushed, "Oh, thank you." Seiji's voice came from behind her, "Well, Lucy is right, you know." Midori turned, her eyes widening at the picture of Seiji in his tuxedo, a bow tie slightly off kilter. Seiji smiled, "So, do you like it?"

Midori nodded, smiling, "Yes, I love it!" Seiji smiled, looking around, "Well, everyone's almost here." Miyahara walked up, also in a tuxedo, "Whats up guys?" Seiji nodded, "Not much, what about you? Thinking of finding a dance partner when you get there?" Before he could answer, Lucy rammed into Miyahara, embracing him in a protective hug, "He's only allowed to dance with me." Miyahara smiled at this.

Yoku walked up, his three piece suit resembling that of a Butler's shuffling in the wind, "Hey everyone."

Seiji looked around, "Hmm? Where's Hiren?"

Yoku waved his hand, "Oh, they called him to go help with set up, so he's already there." hey all filed onto the public bus, which would take them to the Gansaku Bon'Odori. They felt slightly out of place, being the only people on the bus wearing such costumes. It took almost an hour, and the sun had fallen by the time they arrived. When they exited the bus, they all pulled out their masks. Seiji and Miyahara both pulled out two black masks reminiscent of Zorro, while Yoku place on his face the mask the Immortals wore in the movie three hundred. Ayase, midori and Lucy all brought feathered masks of colors matching their dresses out of their purses. They walked up to the main door, handing their passes to a man who held a hole puncher. After returning their now hole indented passes, he motioned for them to step in.

The instant they were inside, Lucy dragged Miyahara into the danceroom. A rich, lilting tune being played by a piano drifted over, the sounds of a cello, a violin, and a flute all mixing in harmony. Seiji bowed dramatically to Midori, "My Lady?" Midori smiled, taking his hand, as he lead her to the dancefloor. Yoku looked around a second, before filtering off into the crowd.

Ayase looked around, wondering why she had even come. When she had first heard of it, she thought she might have some luck with getting a date, she didn't have anyone to go with, and she didn't expect anyone to ask her to dance, and she had no idea how to politely ask for a dance at one of these. She slumped her head, as she calmly made her way out to a balcony, hoping for some fresh air. When she had gotten out, she noticed a few others had escaped here as well. She leaned against the railing, looking out over the curving hill the mansion sat on. She sighed, hearing the sounds of music from within cease, the crowded people clapping, She shook her head, deciding it didn't matter.

_It's just a dance, right?_ She thought to herself, _Right, just a dance..._

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She heard footsteps behind her, followed by a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she found a tall man standing before her. He wore a black three piece Zoot-Suit, seven silver lapels holding his jacket closed. His hat was straight, covering the tip of his V For Vendetta mask, which covered his face. Ayase looked at him skeptically, as he performed a sweeping bow to her, removing his hat to reveal dark brown hair, which slicked back into a sweeping form.

"Um, hi..." She said, looking at him. He motioned toward the danceroom, inclining his head in a questioning manner. Ayase suddenly realized what he was asking, "Oh, you want to dance with me?" A confirming nod was all his response consisted of. He held his hand out to her, replacing his hat. She took his hand, smiling sheepishly as he lead the way out onto the dancefloor. The music started quickly, its pace like that of a waltz.

The Man lifted his left hand at a forty-five degree angle, which Ayase took. His right hand went to her waist, as he motioned for her to place her left hand on his shoulder. He moved in a circular motion to his left, Ayase hurried to match. After a minute, give or take, they had gotten into an equilibrium. He moved, she followed, their footsteps nearly in sync with each other. Ayase watched his mask, noticing that if she looked hard enough she could tell the Man's eyes were a shade of brown.

The music slowed to a crawl, the Man's movements reacting calmly to match. Ayase slowed her feet, taking the steps at what seemed to be a crawl to her. The lilting, down tempo music was serene, as the Man's movements slid them from one piece of floor to the next. Now that they had slowed to some extent, Ayase realized they had been dancing quite fast before, her breathing slightly ragged. As her breathes settled into a rythmic beat, her eyes caught the sight of her friends. Lucy and Miyahara were attempting a tango to the slow song, which looked even more ridiculous due to Lucy insisting on being the lead. Midori's head was nestled on Seiji's chest, as their bodies ducked between those around them slowly. She saw a glimpse of Yoku's form hulking over a red haired girl, whose dress was a red like that of a rose, her mask almost regal in the Ballroom's lights. As the band's music began a faster tempo, Ayase's legs responded without hesitation.

Ayase recognized the beat as a Tango oriented style, one she had seen her parents dance to on their anniversaries. Her mind centered quickly on this thought, as she realized this was the only dance that she truly knew. Her eyes met those of the Man she danced with, a slight asking glint in them. She blushed, smiling as he pulled her closer, his left arm taking her right one out straight. They oved sideways, passing a few people before they turned, repeating this another two times. As his arm came off of her waist and elongated, she turned with her back to him, swiveling her arm gently until her body itself was stretched, only the tips of their fingers touching. She twisted back towards him, the combination of their efforts resulting in her back landing solidly on his chest. She felt him buckle backwards quickly, following through by balancing with an outplaced right leg. They came back up, the Man spinning her until she once more faced him. As if on cue, she fell forward, the Man stepping into the move. They ceased, their bodies forming an angular triangle from a vantage point. The song continued, Ayase slowly realizing she knew the beat. The two of them had gone through the fluid motions twice, before the end had arrived. As the beat ended, the Man brought Ayase down toward the ground, taking her right hand in his left, and placing his right arm protectively around her waist, the resulting perpendicularity with the floor was pulled off without a hitch, Ayase bending her head back for dramatic effect.

As the Man brought her back up to a standing position, Ayase realized something. Although the music still played its constant tempo, the sound of shuffling feet and clothing had all but ceased in the immediate area around them. She looked around, feeling eyes on her, which there were. Seiji and Midori watched from her left, Miyahara and Lucy to her right, and she had a sinking feeling the rest of the classes eyes were on her as well, in addition to the random bystanders who had stopped to admire the display. While the few whose eyes watched her wasn't even a minor portion of the party, Ayase's face flamed red. A few moments, which seemed like years, passed. Ayase felt the Man's finger tap her shoulder. When she looked, he inclined his head toward the balcony in a questioning manner. She nodded, figuring the Man wanted some air. As they left the main floor, she could feel more eyes on her, her face reddening even more.

Once outside, she leaned forward against the stone railing, taking deep, comforting breathes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Man pull out a pen and small pad of paper, jotting something down. She turned, right as he held the pad out to her. A single question was written at the top of the page, in a sprawling, curving text.

_Are you all right?_

Ayase gawked at the question, realizing why the man had motioned toward the balcony.

_He did this for me?_

Ayase handed the pad back to him, "Yes, I'm fine..." She said slowly, as she searched for the words, "Um...Thank you, for earlier...and now too."

The man nodded, writing on the pad and showing it to her.

_Don't mention it._

"A man of few words, I see," Ayase said, smiling, "Or no words in this case, I guess, right? Haha." She heard the Man's short laugh, a deep, boomingly gentle sound. She looked at him, "If you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

The Man wrote on the pad, showing it to her after a few moments.

_Just a friendly individual who thought you looked lonely_

Ayase nodded, "I see, I see. So, who are you?" She repeated, cocking an eyebrow at the Man. He wrote on the pad again.

_No One of Consequence_

Ayase smiled, shaking her head slowly, "I guess a name would just remove the air of mystery around you, right?" She considered his mask a moment, "Getting into character?" The pad flipped out, already on the third page.

_You could say I'm a reincarnation of a True Self_

Ayase narrowed her eyes, "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand that part." The Man shrugged, his only response. Ayase looked out over the lawn, "So, why did you ask me to dance, anyways?"

She saw the notepad, and watched as he wrote, flipping the page once and then flipping it back, and silently placing it near her hand. She picked it up, reading the text.

_I didn't want you to be sad anymore. I saw you earlier and you didn't look too enthusiastic._

Ayase smiled, "Well, thank you." She said, turning, but found no one there. The Man had disappeared. She looked out into the crowd of dancing people. There wasn't a single Zoot-Suit to be seen. She smiled, laughing lightly.

_Of course I meet a nice gentleman, and he suddenly disappears... _A thought came to her head, remembering how the man had flipped the page to write something before giving her the notepad. She flipped the page, blushing lightly at the words.

_Besides, You're Very Cute!_

* * *

Remember To review!


	5. Big Screen

Woohoo! Chapter Five!

Enjoy!

* * *

:Big Screen:

Ayase walked out of her house, the early morning air refreshing. Ayase's thoughts drifted, as she thought of the past month. It had been quite...strange.

It had been the day after the Ball. She walked down the road, leaves falling down without care. Her bag swung from side to side in front of her waist. She raised her left hand, moving a lock of hair from her eyes. The sun shone brightly, the clouds in the sky few and far between. She smiled at the sounds of birds chirping, their melodies flowing and twisting.

She had arrived at school, and was about to turn into the courtyard, when the body flew past her at an alarming speed. Ayase jumped back, her eyes wide as she stared at the unconscious man, his uniform crumpled and somewhat ripped. She turned her head, to the sight of Hiren, Seiji, and Yoku back to back to back, surrounded by a large group of guys. One guy in particular stood out, as he wore a headband that read 九 (Nine in Japanese, if you were wondering)inside the red sun of Japan. He glared at the three of them, "Which one of you holds the position of Six?"

Seiji smiled, "Thats me, whats it to you?" The man smiled, "I want your position!" He rushed forward, his arm launching a punch when he was close. Seiji's left arm came up, knocking his punch to the side easily. His right hand, balled into a fist, connected effortlessly, the man sent sprawling from the force. He rose to his knees, wiping his bloody spittle with the back of his hand, "Get them." The group of men rushed them, their mass enveloping the three of them quickly.

Ayase watched in amazement, as man after man was thrown out away from the group. As the numbers dwindled, she could slowly see the fighting that was taking place. Seiji's 'Right Hand Of The Devil' was working those in front of him like they were nothing. Yoku was smiling devilishly, his eyes ablaze as he took punches full in the gut, only to smile even more broadly and respond with a simple fist to the face, or occasionally a foot if the man was far enough away for such an attack. Hiren weaved between the attackers, and despite his size moved strangely fast. He threw numerous people into walls, the ground, even at Yoku, who responded by delivering a swift attack at their unprotected bodies. If he didn't throw them, then Hiren's elbows and knees made quick work of them.

The three of them stood there, cracking various body parts; Seiji his knuckles, Hiren his neck and Yoku both at once. The group of people ran off, scattering before the three of them decided to finish them off. The man from before, who had worn the number Nine headband, had fled sometime during the fray. For a moment, the three of them did nothing, until finally they started toward the school, Yoku's voice reaching Ayase, "Well, that was fun!"

Hiren nodded, "Yeah, they weren't very good though. Barely a chall-" He stopped as Ayase's voice yelled at them, "Hold on a second!" They turned, seeing Ayase stalking toward them, "What the hell was that?"

Yoku looked at her, "What was what?" She pointed at him, "Don't give me that! What was with that group of guys you just took out!?" Realization hit Yoku's face, "Oh, that. They were just a few punks, trying to earn a name for themselves."

"And why would they be fighting you?" She asked, her voice gratingly annoyed. Hiren stepped forward, "Well, we're all three a part of this online...game," He said, thinking, "Where we sign up for our town's division, and what proceeds is random duals between the top fighters of that town."

Ayase looked at him, her mouth open. She shook her head, "You're all insane...thats the only excuse, you're all insane..." She stopped, "Wait, Seiji, what about Midori? Will she be ok?"

Seiji smiled, "Yes. Despite how it sounds, the site has a strict contract. Attempting to hurt or use any innocents to their advantage results in being expelled from the game all together, and they won't be defended in a court of law," he smiled, adding laughingly, "Which the other members send after you."

Ayase shook her head, "I'm not quite understanding. A contract?"

Yoku piped in, "When you join, you have to print off a contract, sign it, and send it to the creator, signifying you release yourself from being sued for damages, in addition to you can't sue someone if you get hurt."

Ayase nodded slowly, "All right...why?" she asked incredulously, her face still perplexed, "Whats the point?"

Yoku and Seiji both beat their chests, saying at the same time, "To prove I'm the strongest!" They glared at each other, as Ayase looked at Hiren, "And what about you?"

Hiren shrugged, "I got roped into it by Yoku. I'd rather settle my disputes by talking, but I find this is a good way to keep in shape."

Ayase breathed deeply, "Well, at least one of you is sane." She started toward the school, "Well, have fun, try not to die, don't get bloody, and goodbye." She shook her head as she walked, saying to herself, "I shouldn't have to put up with this so early in the morning..."

Lucy popped up in front of Ayase, scaring her so that Ayase fell backward onto the ground, "Hiya Ayase!" Lucy looked down at Ayase, as she started to stand up, "Ayase, what were you doing down there?" She asked, wonderingly.

Ayase dusted off her skirt, "No reason, no reason..." She looked at Lucy, smiling, "So, how've you been?"

Lucy smiled, "I've been great! Miyahara and I danced all night, it was wonderful!" Miyahara nodded, adding, "When she says all night, she really means that. We just stopped an hour ago, and I haven't slept..." Ayase looked closely, and realized he looked about ready to collapse, while Lucy looked bright, cheerful, and about to explode from giddiness.

Ayase smiled, "Really, all night? Thats...wonderful..." She said, deciding to take Lucy's side, for fear of reprieve.

Lucy leaned in close, a suggestive smile on her face, an equally suggestive look in her eyes, "And what about yooouuu, Ayase?" Ayase backed up, "Uh, what do you mean..."

Lucy narrowed her eyes in a huff, "Don't give me that, I saw you dancing with that guy in the mask," She apparently believed this fact had narrowed it down to single man, "So, what happened after you went onto the balcony, eh? Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh?" With each consequetive eh, her face got closer to Ayase's, until they were mere centimeters apart. Ayase shook her head, slightly taken aback, "Um, nothing..." Lucy's gaze had turned to one of doubt, "Oh, reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaallly?" Ayase nodded, "Really..." A sweatdrop ran down her face, as Lucy still eyed her a moment, before she leaned back into a natural standing position, saying happily with a smile, "Okay!"

Ayase breathed out, "Good..." She started toward the school again, everyone following. Lucy dragged Miyahara, who apparently had lost the mental capacity required to walk. Hiren walked alongside Yoku and Seiji, lost in thought, his eyes staring ahead. Seiji watched him a moment, considering what he could be thinking. He shook his head, deciding to wait until lunch.

Seiji sat down next to Hiren, who held his gaze on the sky, "A penny for your thoughts?" Hiren shook his head, "No, but thank you anyways..."

Seiji looked at him, "Come on man, whats wrong?"

Hiren shook his head, "Nothing's wrong..."

Seiji sighed, "Fine, I won't ask anymore. I'm here if you want help, though." Hiren nodded, "Well, thank you..."

Yoku tapped Seiji on the shoulder, "Don't worry, he always gets like this once in a while. He'll be fine, he's just thinking."

The door opened, Ayase walking toward them with Lucy and Miyahara not far behind. As they sat down to lunch, Hiren spoke, "Hmm...its a nice day out..."

Everyone nodded. It was quiet again, until... "The clouds look magnificent..."

Everyone nodded once again. Yoku looked around, "Well, this is strange. Its like one of those times a writer can't thing of what to have characters say, so he just describes them sitting there, saying whatever comes to mind..."

Everyone thought about this, eventually nodding in agreement.

The sun beat down on the schoolyard, Seiji, Yoku and Hiren all standing, facing a group of six people. Four males and three females faced them, all with glares that could kill a rampaging oxen. They each wore school uniforms, the two men on the left wearing the same ones, a guy and a girl in the middle wearing the same ones, while the other two wore the same as well.

One of the girls, her short blue hair swishing and jade green eyes flashing, stepped forward, "You bastards didn't show up to the meeting!"

Hiren stepped forward, smiling, "Oh, come on Ryomou, we had school. You can't expect us to make it across town in five minutes flat." Ryomou's foot collided with Hiren's forehead, knocking him to the ground, "Shut up! If you couldn't come then you should've said so last night online!"

Hiren stood up, unphased and still smiling, "I know, but none of us had internet last night."

Ryomou sniffed, turning around, "Pathetic, I don't know how you became Number Three..." Hiren smiled as he waved at the others, "Shuuya, how ya been?" An attractive pretty boy stepped forward, waving sheepishly, "I've been good."

Hiren nodded, "Still holding position of eight, right?" Shuuya nodded affirmitively. Yoku called out to the two boys on the far left, "Gakushuu, Taishiji, what you two been up to?"

The tallest of the two, his short brown hair blowing briefly, answered, "Not much, just staying alive."

"And you, Taishiji?" Yoku called out. Taishiji, a man of slightly less height than Gakushuu and a smaller build, called out happily, "Taking life as it comes."

Yoku nodded, as Hiren smiled at the other two girls, "Ryofu, Chinkyuu, have you two been all right since last we met?"

Ryofu, her skimpy outfit flowing delicately, smiled, saying playfully, "Of course we have, you idiot."

Chinkyuu, glared at him, grabbing Ryofu about her waist and pulling her close. Hiren smiled, laughing, "haha, well, seems you're still suspiscious of me, aren't you?" Chinkyuu glared at him more fiercely. Hiren looked at the group, "So, to what do we owe this pleasureable visit?"

Shuuya answered him quickly, "We're here to tell you about the most recent news. The ten best are supposed to meet up in Tokyo later this month, for the finals."

Yoku looked at him, "Wait what? The finals are already here?"

Seiji looked at him incredulously, "Yoku, its been on the calendar for the past month." Yoku sighed, "Guess I didn't notice."

Ayase had been watching this with interest, and had now decided to leave. She walked out of the gate, her bag swinging in front of her.

The next morning, she got to school early. It was easily six thirty AM, when Ayase was about to enter the school courtyard, when a man stopped her. It was the same man from the day before, the one who Seiji had knocked out. He glared at her, as she watched him a few moments. He stood in front of the gate, his arms crossed, "No one is getting pass here, until I've beaten the Number Eight!"

Ayase looked at him sleepily, her eyes half open. She started forward, "Whatever..." The man stepped in front of her, blocking her path. She moved elft, but he blocked her again. She walked past him finally, stopping when his hand grabbed her arm, "I said no one is get-" His voice was cut off by the ground connecting with his back. Ayase stood over him, her foot on his chest. She looked sleepily at him, "Whatever..."

She started toward the school, more intent on sleeping some more up on the roof.

Ayase sat in class, everyone's eyes on her. She kept her eyes closed in concentration as the people talked, their whispers small. Her fingers agitatedly tapped the desk in front of her, as Seiji leaned over, "Ayase, um...why is that guy standing behind you?"

The man from earlier screamed out an answer, "Ayase has defeated me! I have become her disciple!"

Hiren cocked his eyebrow, his mouth opening. Before he could say anything, Ayase's hand came up, "Not. A. Word." she grated out, her voice agitated. Hiren nodded, backing away, "Ok, ok..."

The day passed, rather slowly to Ayase, but still it passed. At the end of it all, everyone was walking out together.

The group from earlier in the morning had appeared again, Yoku, Seiji, and Hiren following. Ayase began walking the other way, the former number nine following, when she stopped, Hiren's voice catching her, "Ello! Where are you going?"

She turned around, "Home, where else?" Yoku looked at her a moment, "Ayase, we have to go to the meeting..." She waved him off, "Go, I'm not stopping you." She saw looks on their faces, which made her think a moment. She looked at the guy whose ass she had kicked that morning. He was holding a bandanna out to her. Cold hard realization hit her, her face remaining calm as she muttered the only word she could think of that could fully explain her feelings at that very moment.

"Sonnuvabitch..."

Ayase sat to Hiren's right, Seiji on her right, and Yoku on his right. To Hiren's left sat Ryomou, who sat to the right of Chinkyuu, at whose left was Ryofu, who sat perpendicular to Shuuya, to whose left was Taishiji, who was on the opposite left of Gakushuu, whose opposite right was occupied Yoku, thus completing the circle. (Check if you want, it IS an actual circle.)

Ayase looked at the asembled group, "I hate you all...so much..." Hiren looked at her, hurt, "I'm sorry about this. You did beat him, so until number Eleven returns from his trip to Finland, you have to be the Number Nine."

She sighed, "Don't worry about it, it can't be helped I guess. When will he be getting back?"

Hiren scratched his back, "Yeah...um, about that..." She glared at him, until he continued, "Well, he's gone until next month, visiting family."

"Which is why we've assembled here," Shuuya said, smiling, "To decide who will be training you for the battle." Instantly, everyone except Hiren and Shuuya all shot their hands into the air, "NOT IT!"

Ayase's jaw dropped, "What?"

Here is the order in which they said their excuses. Ryomou, Chinkyuu, Ryofu, Taishiji, Gakushuu, Yoku, and Seiji.

"I want to rest for this month."

"I want to spend my time with Ryomou."

"I hate you."

"I'm gonna go examine the competition."

"I don't really feel like it."

"I'm not much of a trainer, you'd probably die from my regiment."

"I'll be spending my time with Midori."

Shuuya smiled, "Well, it seems you'll need to pick between me or-" Ayase cut him off abruptly, "Hiren."

Shuuya smiled, "Yes, him or I. Who will it be?"

"Hiren," She said again, "At least him I know. I'm not even sure what your name is." Shuuya shuffled off into a corner, downtrodden. Hiren smiled, "All righty then! Shall we begin the training tomorrow, after school?"

Ayase sighed, "I'm not gonna get out of this, am I?"

Hiren shook his head, "If there was a way, I'd tell you." Ayase sighed, "Fine...After school then, where?"

Hiren thought a moment, scratching his chin, "Hmm...how about the park?" Ayase nodded, starting out the door. Hiren followed quickly, "Let me walk you home, its getting dark."

Ayase shook her head, "No, I'll be fine, but thank you for the offer." Hiren smiled, "Anytime." Ayase left, closing the door behind her, sighing at the trouble she was in.

Ayase stood in the park, Hiren next to her, both wearng their school uniforms. The night had passed, and with it had Ayase's hopes that she had been having a very strange, evil nightmare. Her current situation wasn't half bad, when she considered it. It felt good to be out with a friend, even if that friend was only there to train her. She looked up at Hiren, "All right, what now?"

Hiren smiled, "First, we'll test your abilities. Stand udner that tree, please." He said, pointing. Ayase walked over, turning around so her back was to the trunk, "All right, what no-" Her voice was cut off by the rather loud clunk, then exploding noise, generated by an apple colliding with the trre trunk above her head. Hiren smiled, as he hefted another apple in his right hand, throwing it up, "Now then, first test is your ability to dodge."

Ayase didn't care where he obtained the apples. She didn't care when he ha dobtained the apples. Her mind was occupied with one, single, unhaltering thought, which she spoke out loud.

"This Cannot End Well."

It did end well though, for at the end of the day Hiren had gauged her dodging ability to be nearly equal to that of Taishiji's.

"Although, that may be due to the extra andrenaline, forced out by the fear," He said, as he walked with her toward the park entrance, "Thats only speculation, though." Ayase glared at him, breathing hard, "Well, thats just great..."

He smiled, "Oh, come on, loosen up. You can't say it wasn't fun, right?" She glared at him, his only response a smile and his voice, "Hey, at least I wasn't aiming for any vitals." She thought a moment, realizing he was telling the truth. All off the apples had been aimed at her arms or legs, only three had actually almost connected, and those were with her shins. She looked at him, "Why weren't you aiming for real?"

He smiled, "Well, for one it was only a test, your first one as such too. Secondly, and most important, I would never hurt a female, despite if I'm training her or not."

She raised an eyebrow, "Really?" he nodded, "Yep, I'd rather die than hurt a female. Yoku's the same way, thats the only reason he's Number Five." Ayase was walking straight now, her breath catching up to her finally, "What about you? You're Number Three, right? That means you have to have fought one of those girls."

Hiren nodded, "I did. I defeated Ryoumou, and lost to Ryofu when I realized I could get position three by losing." Ayase eyed him, "How'd you beat Ryomou, if you didn't hurt her?"

Hiren smiled, grasping the air, "I groped her into submission." Ayase stopped, her jaw slackening, "What?"

Hiren smiled, "Yeah, I justy-" He stopped, Ayase's hand appearing in front of him, "No, I don't even want to know..." She said, exasperated. Hiren nodded, "Ok, don't worry." He looked around, noticing how dark it had gotten, "Its pretty dark, you gonna be ok? I'll walk you home if you want." Ayase shook her head, smiling, "No thank you, but thanks for the offer." Hiren smiled, "All right, see ya tomorrow, same time then." he started down the road, opposite the direction she was heading. Turning around, he waved at her a moment, "You be careful!" She waved back, as she ehaded for home.

The wek passed, Hiren testing Ayase every day. Saturday arrived, and Ayase was in the park at seven AM, the time Hiren and she had agreed upon. She stretched her arms and legs, her jogging suit moving fluidly around her. Hiren had said he might be late, that he was dragging something down here for training. Ayase looked around the glade she was in, where she was meeting Hiren. It was secluded, but it made sense since they were going to be training, and interruptions would be annoying. She heard people walking down the path that lead past the glade, their voices carrying. Ayase recognized them as Chinkyuu and Ryoumou from earlier. She dismissed them easily, but strarted listening intently when she ehard her name, ducking behind a tree to hide.

"I don't know what he sees in Ayase," Chinkyuu said, her voice agitated, "I mean, she can't even fight decently."

"Perhaps," Ryoumou said, her voice happy, "But its great for him, none the less. If it works out, that is."

Yeah, thats right," Chinkyuu began, a pitying tone in her voice, "He hasn't had much luck in that department, has he?"

Their voices trailed off, as Ayase's mind filled with thoughts. What did they mean, 'What he sees'? And what about, 'If it works out'? And 'Not much luck'?

"Ello there, whats this then?" Hiren's voice came, startling her. He smiled down at her, nodding his head toward the center of the glade, "Come on, we'll need as much time as we can get." He took her to the middle, where now stood a massive amount of straw scarecrows, hung from the limbs of the various trees. He nodded at the center, "Go on, get in." She obeyed, looking around, "What is this? How did you hang them all up in the time I wasn't paying attention?"

Hiren smiled, "To question one, its a training ritual. To question two, magic." Ayase raised her eyebrow, shaking her head, "Ok..." Hiren pushed one of the scarecrows toward her slowly, watching her dodge effortlessly, "Good, but for this I'll be asking you to attack it." She nodded, watching its trail through the air. As it neared, her leg snapped up, connecting at the base of the enck and chest. Hiren nodded his approval, "Very good, very good. Two at a time." He pushed a second one, her leg snapping out and connecting with its stomach. As the first one came back, she jumped, launching her other leg out into a snap, balancing onto her now free leg.

"Excellent, you've had training, it seems." She nodded, as he pushed another one, "Of course, my parents had me elarn a while back." Hiren watched her, as he started swwinging them faster, adding more at certain points, "Why don't you use it more often? Like when that guy slapped you across the cheeck?" She shrugged, "I prefer not to fight, its seems too...animalistic, to me." Hiren nodded, "Too beastial, and such?" She nodded. All of the scarecrows were now swinging, hiren running in a circle to keep them at a slow pace. He slowly began to increase the speed. Ayase lost track of time.

Ayase looked at Hiren, keeping her eyes on him, "Hiren, I was wondering..." She said, looking for the words. Hrien looked at her quizzically, "What is it?" She thought a moment more, "Well, I heard Chinkyuu and Ryoumou talking earlier this morning. They were talking about how you see something in me, and I wondered what they meant." She ehard him laugh, a low chuckle, "Well, I think you have the potential to be the cutest fighter in town." She found herself blushing, as she dodged and attacked the scarecrows. She shook her head, wondering why she had blushed in the first place. He was just a friend, just a friend that was complimenting her. Lucy, Midori, and Nao had all said similar things with the same tone of voice, Miyahara and Seiji had even said some things to cheer her up. She shook her head, focusing back on the scarecrows.

"Hiren, I had something else on my mind," She called out, unable to see him now because of the speed at which the scarecrows moved, "They said something about how this would be great for you, if it worked out. What did they mean by that?"

She heard his voice from behind her, moving clockwise, "They must've meant about me training you. I'm the only one who hasn't taught someone exclusively, until now."

"What?" She said, stopping, "Then I'm just a student, not a friend to you?" Her eyes widened as she realised she had stopped in the middle of moving scarecrows, whose speed was quite fast. She saw one heading straight for her, causing her to duck. It was slow and systematic, but she eventually got into the grroove of things. She ehard Hiren's voice during this period, "Of course not, you're more than just a simple friend," He paused a moment, "You're an amazingly great friend." She blushed again, shaking her head. He considered her a great friend, even though they had only known each other a short couple of months?

"They also said you hadn't had much luck with something. What were they talking about then?" Her body moved fluidly, nothing getting too close. Hiren was quiet a long time, before his voice called out nonchalantly, "Oh, they must be talking about my bad luck with getting a girlfriend." This had caught Ayase off guard. She hadn't been expecting him to say that, not to mention saying it so calmly. She halted her movement, "What?" She realized too late that she had done it again, freezing in the middle of a swinging group of scarecrows. She sw them heading towards her even faster, and at the distance they were, it would be impossible to dodge. Her mouth opened, a scream ringing out.

She sat on the ground, rubbing the back of her head. She remembered falling, and the pain was nothing, so she couldn't have been knocked out. She opened her eyes, "Ow, what happen..." She stopped, at the sight of Hiren. He stood over her, a scarecrow hanging limply behind him. Two others had apparently connected with the palms of his hands, which were held out with his elbows bent. One of his shins was up, and Ayase could see a scarecrow dangling just to her right. The other ones still swung, but in a slow, pendulum like gait. Hiren breathed heavily, a slight twitch in his neck, "...Ow..." With that, he fell to the ground. Ayase looked alarmed, as she ran over, "Hiren! Hiren!" His eyes opened, as he shook his head, "Well, that could have gone better..." He sat up, smiling, "haha, guess they wanted a raise in their checks." Ayase shook her head, hitting him across the back of the head, "Don't scare me like that, I thought you had died!"

He smiled, standing up, "Died? Like I would die that easily, ha!" He looked at the sky, which was turning a dark red as the sun set. He nodded toward the gate, "Come on, we better get out of here." She nodded, as they started to walk out.

"Hiren, what happened? I remember seeing the scarecrows coming towards me, and then opening my eyes to see you standing over me." Hrien smiled, "Every girls nightmare, haha." He saw her smirk, but she still retained her 'Tell-Me-Now-Please' glare, "Well, when I heard you scream I rushed in and pushed you to the ground. Sorry about that, by the way."

She shook her ehad, "No worries, it would have been worse if you hadn't..." She looked at the approaching gate, "...Why did you do it? I mean, you risked yourself for me, why?" Hiren smiled, "You're a female, not to mention a great friend too." She looked at him, "Thats it, just because I'm a friend?"

"Thats all the reason I need, and besides," He smiled, stretching, "As a gentleman, allowing a female to be hurt would cause me much more pain than what those scarecrows did." Ayase nodded, "I see, I see. Well, thank you Hiren, I hope you have a good night's sleep." Hiren nodded, "All right, and lets take tomorrow off, today's display was excellent." Ayase smiled, ., looking at him, "Whats the real reason?" Hiren smiled, "I have work tomorrow, of course." Ayase looked at him, "A job?" He smiled, waving as he walked off, "I'll tell you later...maybe!" Ayase shook her head, walking home.

Ayase stretched, her eyes scanning the people around her. Hiren and Yoku were there, as was Seiji and everybody else from that meeting. There were three other groups of ten, each group from a different town in the area. Her training had gone flawlessly, and she now wore her school uniform. Everyone wore their school's uniform. Hiren walked up to her, smiling, "Well, are you ready?" She nodded, "Yeah, lets go!" As a group, they walked out, to sit next to the arena.

The arena in question was a normal sized UFC style octagon, with its chainlink fence painted a startling black. Foam padding ringed the top of the fence and the bottom angles, to keep anyone from dying. A man with a microphone stood in the middle, his suit spectacular, as he called out to everybody, "All right now, settle down! Lets get this show on the road!" Cheers erupted from the stands, people standing on their seats. Some held signs, with such descriptions as "Murder Them!" or, "Reap Their Souls!". Ayase looked in awe at this, wondering how this was kept a secret. She froze, her eyes pasing over a man in a pair of slack pants and a suit shirt, his tie absent. Her jaw dropped, "Sensei?" She shook her head, as the man in The Octagon spoke once again.

"Now, this year we're having a different type of battle!" He said, smiling, "Due to time restrictions, we're having a four way battle everytime!" The crowd cheered, the man waiting for them to grow silent, "We'll do this in descending order, from tenth to first! Now then, the first bout! Will the following combatants please come forward! Houfuku Isshou! Amatou Kanbashii! Kaishou Haichi! And Chinkyuu Kodai!" The contestants stepped forward. Issou was a man of medium height with a light build, his face in a large grin. Kanbashii was tall, skinny, and seemed to move fluidly. Haichi was small but muscular, and his frown was ever present. Chinkyuu stepped into the ring, placing her back against a corner, the others doing the same. The man with the microphone closed the door he had used to escape, smiling, "Begin!"

Kanbashii started first, launching himself towards Haichi. Haichi's arms closed around Kanbashii's wist from behind, bringing him down onto his shoulders. Haichi ran toward Isshou, but Chinkyuu tripped him, bringing her leg around and down onto his neck. She stood, turning toward Isshou, only to find his shin already coming down across her face. She hit the ground, hard, to cheers. She stood up, shaking her head, as he was declared the winner. The four contestants walked out, medics checking them for injuries.

Ayase gulped, realizing her bout was next. She shaked slightly, fear coursing through her. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder, turning to see Hiren, smiling, "Don't worry Ayase, you'll be fine." She smiled, "Yeah, thanks..." She stepped into the ring, realizing she hadn't listened to the names of her opponents. She looked at them, realizing they were all females. There were cheers from all sides. Not the normal cheers, like "Beat em up! You can do it!". No, these cheers were more similar to, "Take it off! Woohoo!" and, "Get some mud in there!". Ayase shook her head, the other girls seemed to agree, their faces smiling.

She heard the man say "Begin!" and felt her feet move on their own, heading for the girl to her left. Before she realized what was happening, her foot had already connected with the girl's abdomen, sending her into the fence. Ayase stood in front of her, her eyes widening as she heard a swish from behind her. Ducking, she spun and brought her leg in a sweep. She saw the girl's foot connect with the face of the one who was against the fence, right after which Ayase's sweep brought her to the ground. Ayase's foot came down instinctively, catching the girl on the chest. She sprang up, searching for the other girl. She turned, seeing the girl's foot on a trail to her abdomen, in a side kick. Ayase grabbed it, showing her back to the girl for a slit second as she threw the girl, twisting to gain control. The girl recovered, bringing her fist around in a punch. Ayase grabbed the wrist, wrenching it down, as she brought her knee up into the girl's chin. Ayase breathed hard, as the man with the microphone declared her the winner. She walked out, her eyes glancing at her teacher, who just sat there, a blank look on his face.

The battles continued, until eventually the man stood in the ring again, "All right! We've now completed the first portion! The following are the ten winners from each division! From tenth division, Isshou! Ninth division, Ayase! Eighth division, Kuurei! Seventh division, Akibeya! Sixth division, Sawamura! Fifth division, Gessori!" Yoku voice broke through, his shout heard by everybody, "I would've won I hadn't been put against three females!" The man on stage shook his head, "Anyways, lets continue. Fourth division, Ojiru! Third division, Hiren! Second division, Ryofu! And first division, Kotengo!" Cheers sounded through the entire arena floor, as the ten made ready for their one-on-one battles.

Hiren smiled, as he waited, "Come on Yoku, be a sport. I faced three girls too." Yoku glared at him, "Whatever, I still think you should've lost..." Hiren shrugged, "Hey, I did nothing against the rules." Yoku glared at him even more fiercely, "You turned the battle into a small orgy..." Hiren shrugged, "Hey, isn't against the rules." Ayase shook her head, "Hiren, you're truly a pervert..." She saw Ryofu walk into the ring, her opponent a large man, his name having been announced as Ojiru.

Ojiru rushed in close, his hands a flurry of motion. Ryofu dodged them quickly, her hands flying out at times, catching glancing blows. Ojiru smiled, as Ryofu jumped and brought her leg around towards his head. He grabbed her leg, smiling, "Finally! I can use Hiren's tactic now, and win!" His right hand shot up, and groped Ryofu, who stiffened.

Hiren's eyes widened, "Oh shit fuck jesus, he's screwed." Ayase lifted her eyebrow, "What, why?" Hiren shrugged, "Remember how I said I couldn't beat Ryofu? Well, I did the same thing to her as he's doing, and...well, watch." he motioned toward the arena. Ryofu came down to the ground, turning quickly. Her right leg was raised behind her, at an almost perfect ninety degree angle. In a flash, it came down in an arc, and connected with Ojiru's balls.

Instantaneously, every male in the stadium stiffened, their faces showing false pain, as their balls all raced up and hid behind their hearts, due to fear. Their eyes closed, as they all knew what that pain was like. Ojiru's face was priceless, his eyes almost poppin out, as he literally came off the ground a good three feet. Ryofu had used the momentum to jump, spin, and deliver a second kick to his chest. Ojiru flew back, hit the top of the foam covered fence, flipped over it, and landed on his head. Ryofu landed, brushing her clothes off, walking out of the octagon. Yoku was laughing uproariously, even though he too had cringed in fearful imaginary pain. Hiren leaned over to Ayase, who sat in shock, "Thats why I lost, you see." She nodded, unable to talk.

"The battles have all finished, and theres now only one match left!" The man with the microphone announced to everyone's pleasure, "And here to welcome the competitors, is America's most recent UFC Champion! Michael Mangrum!" Cheers accompanied the arrival of the man. His shaven hair was only recently growing back, he wore a pair of dark blue shorts with a black raven on them, and a dark blue sleeveless shirt. His muscles threatened to rip through the flimsy material. He took the microphone, smiling, "Would Kotengo and Ayase, please step forward?" Ayase stepped into the ring, a tall and lanky black man with dark brown dreadlocks entering across from her. Despite his lack of weight, it was obvious he had toned muscle under his scool uniform. Mangrum looked up at him, being towered over by Kotengo, "Well, you're a tall one, ain't ya?"

He shook his head, "Anyways, I wish the two of you the best of luck. Whoever wins, you're both great fighters." He exited passing Ayase on the way. He whispered quickly to her, "I hope Hiren taught you well." She looked after him as he walked away, turning to face Kotengo. He towered over her, his eyes holding a lazt stare. Ayase heard Shuuya's voice over the cheers, "Ayase, be careful! This guy uses Capoeira!" She watched the guy, as the match started, not really knowing what that style was.

She circled the guy, who followed in a tight circle, remaining in the same area while moving. Ayase stopped, rushing forward. Her foot came up, aimed for his chest. Suddenly, he wasn't there anymore. Ayase looked down, past her flamed out skirt, at the man. He couldn't be more than three inches from the gorund, squating. His left leg flung out, making Ayase lose her stance. She fell to her back, rolling to the side at the sight of Kotengo's foot coming down at her chest. Standing, she got into her stance.

The two of them circled, Ayase keeping her eyes on the man's waist. She saw him move forward quickly, his waist lowering as he brought his leg around, trying to sweep Ayase off her feet. Her hand shot out, holding onto his ankle. Her foot shot out, hitting the side of his knee. He twisted, letting the back of his knee take the blunt force, as he brought his other leg up and around to hit the back of her head. She ducked, bringing her elbow down as she jumped to towards him slightly. She felt it connect with his chest, a small grunt issuing from the man. She smiled, as she started to bring her left arm around, but found she couldn't. She looked, and saw Kotengo's legs had wrapped around her head, and his arms now grasped her right arm close to his chest. He straightened, and Ayase could feel her breath slowing. She saw Hiren throw something into the ring, a whistle blowing out loudly. Kotengo released her, her breath coming back quickly. She stood up, watching as Kotengo's hand was raised, Mangrum declaring him the winner. Ayase slumped, sad that she had lost. She walked to the gorup, her face in tears, "I'm sorry..." She felt everyone slap her back, smiling, as they all said in unison, "Don't worry about it!" She looked at them, "W-what?"

Yoku smiled, "It's all fine, it was just one match, against the person everyone thought would win anyways." Ryofu nodded, "Look on the bright side, you scored a hit on him. Thats better than almost everyone who attended here could have done."

Shuuya nodded, smiling, "She's got a point. Come on, lets go celebrate a job well done!" The group filtered off, Ayase following slowly. She still look downtrodden. She ehard Hiren's voice to her right, "Why the long face?" She looked at him, about to burst into tears again, "I...I didn't win...I'm sorry, I failed..." Hiren shook his head, "Don't worry, its just one match." He smiled, "We have one more whole year to train!" She nodded, "haha! Yeah!" They walked out, catching up to the gorup.

As the credits rolled, Hiren, Yoku, Seiji, Ayase, Lucy, Miyahara, and everyone else in the school, filed out of the auditorium. Seiji stretched, "Man, that movie the Film Club made was really good! Who would have thought they could do that in one month?"

Lucy pouted, "Yeah, but I wasn't in it, and neither was Miyahara! I wanted to fight that black guy!" Hiren smiled, "Yeah, I'm not sure where they found him. I'm not even sure where they found any of those people." Yoku pumped his arm into the air, "All right! Lets go find out, so we can fight them!" He ran off toward the Film Club room, Lucy following, cheering, dragging Miyahara behind her. Ayase shook her head, "Those idiots..."

Hiren sighed, "Oh well, Yoku ca find his way home..." He thought a moment, "Hmm, that movie was reallt well done for only taking a month. It didn't explain a few things well enough, like why you agreed to fight, but it was better than my old school's Film Club could've done."

Seiji looked at him, "Oh yeah? Why's that, did your club not have a lot of funding or something? Not many members?"

Hiren shook his head, "N, they have more than enough skill, its just if they tried to make one, then Brett would've wanted in, and nothing would've gotten done."

Ayase looked at him, "Brett?" Hiren nodded, "Yeah, Brett. He's this guy at my old school, nobody likes him. Literally, nobody likes him, even the teachers have remarked their hate for him." Ayase and Seiji looked incredulously at him, to which he smiled, "No, really, he's so hated that if he was murdered, we'd all smile and cheer, have a party. Hell, I bet there'd even be drinking, and my friends and I don't drink for any reason!" He laughed, "Oh, those were fun days."

Ayase shook her head, "Insane...positively insane..." She started toward her home, Hiren starting to his home, while Seiji started down the road, speaking to himself, "I wonder what Midori's doing?"

* * *

All right, I know it was a bad joke, but I had to pull it.

You know the entire time your mind was like, "What the fuck!?"

Anyways, review if you wish


	6. Animalistic

:Animalistic:

Ayase stretched, her pink pajama top rising as she moved. Her eyes glanced over the calendar, like she did every morning. She looked at it a moment, before realization hit her. She looked out the window, as she spoke to herself, "Only a few more days..."

Ayase walked onto the school grounds, smiling, "Hello!" Seiji turned around, "Hey Ayase, whats up?" She smiled, "Not much." Lucy jumped at her, smiling, "Ayase!" She hugged her tightly, lifting her, "Ayase, are you going, are you going!?" Ayase spoke as she was swung around, "Am I Going to what!?" Lucy pointed quickly at a paper on the door, "To the carnival coming to town, of course!!" Ayase settled her gaze on the paper. Indeed, it appeared there was a carnival coming to town. She cocked her head, "Well, I guess. It opens this Friday, so why not?" Lucy jumped up and down repeatedly, "Yay! Yay! Yay!" Suddenly, her arm wrapped around Miyahara, choking him as she pulled him along with the jumping, "Miyahara-Kun! Will you take me, puweeze!?" Miyahara choked out unsteadily, "Y-y-yes!"

Ayase shook her head, as she steadied herself, "Why is a carnival coming here, anyways?"

"Something about bringing in more tourism," Seiji said off handedly, "I heard it on the news this morning before I left home." Lucy had gotten extremely close to Ayase now, a twinkle in her eye as she whispered, "So, who are you gonna go with? A significant other? Eh, eh?"

Ayase backed away, smiling sheepishly, "Uh, no, no. Why would I have someone like that, haha...ha.." She cleared her throat with a small cough, "Ahem! Either way, what does it matter? I'll just go by myself..." Even as she said it, she realized her folly. Attend a carnival by herself? What kind of loser had she become!? She looked glum a moment, as the thought of going there entered her mind. Seiji walked off with Midori towards the slides, and Lucy went off toward the Roller Coasters with Miyahara, as she stood there looking idiotic.

She waved it off, "Ah well, maybe I won't go..." Lucy's jaw dropped, her face sad, "What!? No! Nono! Nonononononononono!" She said, stamping her foot, puffing her cheeks out, "Without you, it won't be as fun!" Ayase smiled, "Don't worry, Lucy. You'll have Miyahara." Lucy still puffed her cheeks out defiantly. Suddenly, her cheeks deflated as a thought came to mind, "We could go together!" Ayase looked dumbfounded, "Uh...what?"

Lucy smiled, ponting at herself, "I'll be your date!" Ayase shook her head, as Miyahara crumpled to the ground in pathetic self-loathing, "Lucy, what about Miyahara?"

Lucy smiled, "He'll be your date too! It'll be a three-way!" At this, Miyahara jumped up, full of newly revitalized energy. In addition, every guy within 500 feet of this commotion now angled their heads at the group, anxious to hear more. Ayase shook her head, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek, "Uh, no thank you." And once more, the human males drooped their heads, continuing on their way. Ayase smiled, backing up as Lucy stalked toward her, "Seriously, just go. It's just a carnival, I'll be fine not going-" She ran into someone. Turning around, she found Hiren standing over her, smiling, "Ello there!"

Ayase waved, "Sorry about running into you like that." Hiren waved it off, "It is perfectly fine, don't worry. Now, whats this I heard about you not going to the carnival?"

Ayase shook her hands in front of her, "No, its nothing. I'm just not going because...well, for reasons." She pointed at Lucy, a slight glare in her eyes, "I'll be perfectly fine, so no more suggestions."

"Well, it just plain isn't right for a girl your age not to go to a carnival," Hiren said, scratching his chin, "Hmm, I might have an idea..."

Ayase started backing away again, shaking her head slowly, "No, its fine, its perfectly fine. Its just a carnival, its nothing major, so don't wor-" Hiren's voice broke through hers, as he pointed at himself with his thumb, "Why not go with me?" Ayase stopped, shock registering on her face, "W-what?" Seiji looked at Hiren, alarmed.

Ayase walked down the hall, heading for the staircase for the rooftop. Her mind was active, as she contemplated what had happened. She remembered responding yes to Hiren's offer, and she remembered how she hadn't stopped to think about it first. She couldn't figure it out, she had just...reacted. Then there was the fact that Seiji looked alarmed when Hiren had asked. She could understand Hiren suggesting that idea, but why would Seiji be alarmed? She shook her head, just before walking out onto the roof. Hiren, Yoku, and Seiji all three sat in a row, speaking with each other. Miyahara was being dragged around by Lucy somewhere down in the halls.

Ayase walked toward them, working a sentence through her head the entire way, until finally, "Kuragari, I wanted to ask you something." Hiren looked up, raising an eyebrow, "Hmm? Yeah, what do you need?"

"I wanted to know...wh-wh...when the carnival is," She said, smiling and scratching the back of her head, "haha...ha..." Hiren smiled, "Hmm, if I remember correctly it goes from six AM to Midnight Friday and Saturday, and six AM to six PM on Sunday."

Ayase nodded, "Ok, so when are we going?" Hiren shrugged, "I was thinking Saturday. Thats when everyone else is gonna be there."

"That makes sense," She said, looking behind her at the sound of the door opening. Lucy and Miyahara walked toward them, waving.

"Yoku, I've been wondering," Hiren said, looking at Yoku, "You've been fighting kinda...different lately. Did ya change your style or something?" Yoku shook his head, "Of course not. My foots been killing me this past month.Every time I try to put pressure on it, I get this searing amount of pain." Ayase raised an eyebrow, "Um, that doesn't sound good. Did you get it checked?"

Yoku shook his head, "No, it isn't worth it. Its just a little pain." Ayase eyed him, "It could be dangerous to your health." Yoku sighed, "Guess we'll find out if thats true when I die." Ayase glared at him, "You're getting it checked out." Yoku eyed her a moment, before sighing, "Yes Ma'am." He took the shoe off his right foot, removing the sock as well. He angled it, trying to see the underside clearly. Ayase's jaw was slack, as she muttered a single sentence.

"Theres a nail in your foot..."

Hiren and Yoku responded at the same time, "What, again?" Ayase looked incredulously at the two of them, "Please tell me you're not serious..."

Hiren shrugged, "Sadly, yes. This has indeed happened before." Seiji had an eyebrow lifted, and it seemed to be perpetually stuck. Miyahara had frozen at the first sign of the injury, and Lucy had already begun to poke at it. Ayase dragged her away, "No poking. Yoku, get down to the nurse and..." She shook her head, "I can't believe I'm actually saying this...get that nail pulled from your foot..."

Yoku shrugged, "Fine, whatever..." He started down the stairs, slightly limping with each step. All was quiet for a few minutes, until the Nurse's shriek could be heard throughout the school grounds, "HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN!!"

Hiren grinned, shaking his head, "Ah, poor nurse. She hasn't even seen the tip of the iceburg..." And indeed, the nurse had not seen the tip of the monstrosity known as 'Shockingly Horrendous Ordeals That Assaulted Yoku And Oblique Intelligence', or more commonly reffered to as S.H.O.T.A.Y.A.O.I. The aforementioned name was, of course, Hiren's idea. But, I digress, we must remain on topic, which is the iceburg of which the tip the nurse had not seen. Over that following week, Ayase sent Yoku to the nurse's Office for all of the following, in order; Falling from the second story of the school, Being hit by a minibus, being hit by a Vespa Scooter(Yoku took the driver to the nurse, he actually came out unscathed), being hit by a minibus...again..., and being bitten by a rabid dog. At the end of it all, the school nurse was so preoccupied with trying to figure out why Yoku still had organs, that she actually began writing a thesis. She will be getting a Pulitzer this winter. Yet, I once more digress, for we have begun to stray offtopic again. The topic of which I speak, is in fact the one that takes place during the following Saturday, and it begins in front of the carnival entrance.

Ayase flattened out the navy blue skirt she wore, her white blouse covered by a navy blue jacket. She stood in front of the Carnival entrance, Seiji, Midori, Lucy, Miyahara and Hiren all next to her. Seiji, Hiren and Miyahara each wore a pair of jeans. Seiji had a short sleeve white shirt on, Miyahara wore a long sleeved shirt, and Hiren had a no sleeve black shirt, the front of which read 'Unhailoed', with a small halo tilted at an angle. Midori wore a dark green dress, and Lucy was adorned with a blue and white skirt, a white blouse, and an American Flag bandanna in her hair. Miyahara looked around, "Well, its too bad Hissatsu couldn't be here. That way, we'd have everyone here."

"What do you mean, Yoku is here," Hiren said, pointing, "He's got a part time job as one of the mascots." Indeed, Yoku was infact dressed as a dog, big floppy ears drooping on the side of his head, only a few yards away. He looked at the crowds of people, saying apathetically, "Woof...woof...woof..." A kid came by and watched a moment, before pointing at him, "You stink, what kind of dog are you?" Yoku eyed the kid a moment, before his mouth opened, "Woofaghagrghra!!" What emanated from his mouth could only be described as a howl that even Cerberus couldn't have matched. The kid hit the wall behind him, and actually hopped the wall in question in a single bound. Yoku returned to his apathetic 'woof's, as the crowd seemed to thin away from him, for some strange reason...

Ayase's jaw dropped, as she watched this. She heard Seiji's voice behind her, turning in time to see him walking away with Midori under his arm, "Hey, we'll catch you later! Have fun!" He smiled, his eyes seeming to glint a moment. Ayase felt a shiver go up her spine, that glint had seemed...suggestive? She shook her head, turning, "Lucy, what do you want to...do?" She asked herself, finding Lucy already waiting in a line with Miyahara for what seemed to be a roller coaster the size of which would scare an army officer. She sighed, _Ah well. I guess everyone went their own ways. It makes sense, they are couples..._

Her eyes widened suddenly, as she remembered that Hiren was there. With her. She was there. With him. They were there. together. This logic ran through her head a few more moments, until she was finally able to process it all and come to an answer.

She was alone with a boy at a carnival.

She suddenly turned red, as this occurred to her. She looked at Hiren, who had his hands in his pockets. He was turned away, his attention caught on something. She calmed down, closing her eyes and smiling, _What was I so worked up about? Its only Hiren, he was just being a good friend! That's all! Okay! Since he was that nice to me, I need to make sure he has a good time too!_

"So, anything you want to do in particular?" Hiren's voice asked her. She opened her eyes, jumping slightly as she found him to be leaning down, his face next to hers. She looked from side to side quickly, "Uh...how about we go on some rides?" She suggested, smiling. Hiren nodded, "Sounds excellent. What do you wish to ride?" Ayase looked around a moment, before her eyes settled on a rather large roller coaster. She smiled, pointing, "Why don't we go on that?" She said, a hint of fear in her voice.

Hiren raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? Thats the same one Lucy And Miyahara went to. Anything she deems fit to ride cannot be good for anyone's health." Ayase smiled, laughing, "haha, you're probably right. Come on though, let's go!" Hiren nodded, all right then, shall we?" He led her toward the roller coaster, the crowd moving out of his way as he walked, Ayase right next to him. Eventually, they made it to the line and found themselves alongside Lucy Miyahara.

Lucy jumped onto Ayase, hugging her tightly, "Ayase! Yay!" Ayase smiled, trying to pry her off, "Lucy, get off! We're about to get on the ride!" Lucy smiled, "I know, its great! This roller coaster is supposed to be the scariest in the park!" Ayase visibly paled. This fact ran through her head, as she gulped and said haltingly, "haha...ha...really? Haha..." The line moved forward, and Lucy started talking statically to Miyahara. Hiren looked at Ayase a few moments, his face showing deep thought until finally, "hey Ayase, you mind if I ask you something?"

She smiled, "Sure, go ahead." Hiren nodded, "Well, I was wondering if you really want to ride this." Her eyes widened, as she said haltingly, "hehe...of course I do, why wouldn't I?" Hiren raised an eyebrow, "Well, you kinda turned pale when Lucy said it was the scariest one in the park." Ayase smiled, "Well yeah, anyone would having second thoughts when they here that. I'm fine though, so don't worry." Hiren shook his head, "Sorry, but its in my nature to worry about cute girls. Just say right now Ayase, and we can do something else." Ayase looked at the roller coaster again. Turning around, she smiled, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." Hiren shrugged, "All right, if you really want to."

Only moments later, they stepped up to the platform. They would be the next set of people to go onto the ride. Ayase felt a drip of sweat run down her cheek. It didn't seem to be all that hot, a chilling wind was even blowing. She wiped the sweat away, zipping her coat up before taking a deep breath. The roller coaster rose up in front of her, an ominous feeling washing over her. She took a hesitating step forward, a slightly fearful smile on her face. She jumped at the feeling of someone's hand on her shoulder. Turning, she found Hiren next to her, his eyes worried, "Everything all right?"

She cleared her throat, saying roughly, "Of course, why would anything be wrong? Come on, you're holding up the line!" She stepped into the cart, sitting down and crossing her arms. Hiren followed, smiling at her. She narrowed her eyes, "What is it?" Hiren shook his head, "Nothing, nothing." Ayase heard the click of the cart's bar locking them in place. Lucy and miyahara sat in front, Lucy leaning forward to get a better view. Ayase felt the cart curve, then suddenly angle up, a rhythmic motion as it slowly ascended. Suddenly, the cart reached the peak of the climb. Lucy leaned over, her eyes full of awe. Looking down, Ayase gulped at the height they had reached. She looked straight ahead, grasping the bar. Hiren looked at her, opening his mouth to say something.

His voice was drowned out by Ayase's scream, as the cart dropped on the other side. Their speed increased drastically, as they plummeted toward the ground. A quick feling of weightlessness, followed by a jerking turn that brought Ayase out of her initial shock. She remained quiet, her hands grasping the rail bar tightly. She felt the next few turns, and suddenly found herself looking down at the gorund. A second, followed by a third loop tossed and turned her insides. There was a sudden left turn, a weird spiral turn, and the cart stopped. Less than a minute, and the ride was over. Hiren and Ayase left the cart, while Lucy and Miyahara somehow convinced the engineer to let them ride again.

Hiren led Ayase down into the carnival, stopping and looking at her, "Hey, you shouldn't have made yourself do that." Ayase raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" Hiren smiled, "I mean riding that roller coaster. I know you didn't like it." Ayase sniffed at him, "Hmph, why would you think that?"

Hiren pointed at her knuckles, which were a pale white, "Just a little guess." Ayase glared at him, "I was just caught by surprise!" The last word was yelled, as someone ran past her, accidentally pushing her from behind. Hiren, caught by surprise, dropped backwards and fell to the ground. He had caught Ayase, and she lay on top of him. Her face inked red, as people kept walking past them, a couple of people casting glances toward them. She breathed heavily, "Hiren..." feeling his hand on her breast, she glared. Standing, she brought her fist around as he stood, "Ayase I'm Sor-" He never finished, as the sound of the tent behind him collapsing drowned him out, his body underneath it.

Ayase flexed her fist, "That perverted little weasel..." Somewhere far away Yoku, still dressed as a dog, perked his head up, "Yes! She finally figured it out!" The people in his vicinity had no idea what he spoke of, and they didn't truly care.

"Ayase, wait, please!" Hiren's voice carried to her as she walked away. She kept walking, yelling back to him, "Nope!" Hiren was catching up to her, as he tried to weave between the crowds, "Please listen! It was an accident, I swear!" She turned abruptly, "Why should I believe you?" Hiren stood in front of her, looking in her eyes, "I may be a pervert, but I am first and foremost a gentleman. I'd die before I touch you like that." Ayase narrowed her eyes, looking at him. She nodded, "Fine, I believe you. I don't know why though." Hiren jumped in the air in joy, "Pervert for the win!" Ayase lifted an eyebrow, to which Hiren smiled, "Heh, sorry, old habits die hard."

Ayase smirked, turning around, "Whatever. Come on, there is still some time left to enjoy." She walked off, Hiren catching up quickly. She headed for a large, oval tent, the reds and yellows that adorned it bright. Hiren smirked, "The Main Top?" Ayase Nodded, "Yes, the Main Top! I saw a sign earlier for an animal exhibition." Hiren smiled, "All righty then. This sounds great."

Hiren sat next to Ayase. The tent was a large oval, a large metal chainlink fence surrounded the area, about five feet in front of the bottom row of benches. The benches rose at an angle for about fifthteen feet, and they stretched around the inside area. Three large lights lit up the fenced off area, and some of the patrons were caught in the flourescence. On the benches, there appeared to be lines that divided them into small rectangles, probably meant to be designated seats. Ayase took a rectangle numbered '5', and Hiren sat next to her in seat numbered '4'. Lucy and Kiyahara had followed them in, and Lucy now sat to Ayase's left with Miyahara on the other side. It was a few minutes later that the lights dimmed. A single light illuminated the center area, where a man in a top hat, a long red suit coat, and black underclothes stood. A cane was in his hand, as he brought it up and swished around dramatically, "Welcome, one and all! To the Wild Animal presentation!"

Clapping sounded through the area, as a cage was rolled out. Inside, three lions stood atop raised boxes. They looked lazily around. They were all male, their manes fluffing out lightly. The one on the left yawned, deep and loud, his fangs showing brightly in the lightly. There were a few gasps of amazement from children, and still others from some shy girls who hugged their boyfriends. Ayase leaned in close, her eyes holding amazement, "Wow, amazing!" Hiren nodded, smiling, "Yes, quite majestic."

The act continued, with the ringmaster placing his head inside each of the lion's gaping jaws. He lay inside all three at once, much to the astonishment of the audience. They brought out monkeys for a jugling act, leopards for a fire ring act, a dancing bear, and ended with elephants balancing on balls. Ayase smiled as the elephants were lead out, applauding with everyone else. She saw out of her peripheral vision Hiren, watching her. He smiled as he clapped. She turned, watching as he turned his head to watch the retreating ringmaster quickly.

He looked over, "So, ready to go?" Ayase nodded quickly, "Yeah, Yeah of course." She stood, following Hiren out quietly. He had been watching her. How Long? Why? She shook her head as Hiren spoke, "Well, anything you wanna do next?" She thought a moment, "Hmm, not really. What time is it, by the way?"

Hiren brought a cell phone out, "twenty till midnight." Ayase nodded, "Well, I guess I'll start on my way home. See you on monday." She started toward the gate. She heard his voice from behind, "Mind if I walk you home? I wouldn't feel good if I let you walk home alone, in the middle of the night." Ayase turned around, "What, think I can't take care myself?" Hiren shook his head, "Of course not, I know you can. I'd just feel better if I walked you home." Ayase smiled, "Well, thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine. I live just down Ouran Street. Oh, and Hiren..." She turned around, calling back as she walked, "Thanks for bringing me to the circus, you're a great friend!" She left the gate, taking a left and leaving Hiren's view. He sighed, "Ah well..." He started walking around, deciding to spend the last twenty minutes alone.

"Huh...nothing new, I guess..." he smiled, "Although, I did get to see Ayase smile..." He heard shouts from near the Big Tent, and could barely make them out. They sounded panicked, so he worked his way over carefully. He heard the ringmaster shouting at an employee, "What do you mean she escaped!? How does a leopard just escape!?"

"She ran off when I opened the cage to feed her! We can't waste time sir, She was foaming at the mouth! I think she might have been rabid!"

"What direction did she head?" The ringmaster said, pulling out a large amount of needles from his pocket, "We need to find her and administer this sedative. Make sure to contact the police when I leave."

"I saw her jump over the fencing, over near Shishio Street, we should start ove-" His voice was cut off, as Hiren sprinted past them, grabbing three of the needles as he passed. He jumped atop a box, and from there up and over the wall. Taking a sharp left, he ran down the way Ayase had gone.

Ayase walked along, her face a bright smile. The night had been fun, and she had enjoyed herself. Her smile faded, as she started to think about the night. She started wondering, why had Hiren been watching her? _Is it possible he..._

She shook her head. _No, that can't be right! He wouldn't fall for me.. Wait a second! Lucy was next to me...Could he have been looking at Lucy!?_ Ayase nodded affirmatively, _That's right! He had to have been watching her! But why would he..._

She jumped at a sound from her left. She looked quickly, to see a small housecat running down the street. She sighed, smiling. Walking down the street again, she heard running from behind her. Turning, she saw Hiren running toward her, "Ayase!" She lifted an eyebrow. Waiting, Hiren finally got to her after a few seconds. She looked at him, "Well?"

Hiren breathed heavily, catching his breath, "Sorry, I just couldn't accept you walking home by yourself. I'm too much of a gentleman." He smiled up at her. She smiled, "Fine, come on then..." She turned, walking with Hiren close behind. Unbeknownst to her, he kept turning his head, watching for the escaped leopard.

Ayase kept her face forward, as her thoughts became filled. Why had Hiren insisted on walking her home? Why had he ran to catch up to her? She shook her head, looking back at Hiren, "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Hiren nodded, "Yeah, sure..." His breath was still ragged, but was slowly catching up to him. Ayase turned around, walking backward, "Why did you take me to the carnival?"

Hiren shrugged, "Females shouldn't be stuck inside on nights like this, it just isn't right." Ayase looked at him a moment, before turning around, "All right." They walked in silence a moment, the leaves rustling quietly. She walked up to the door of her house, turning, "Well, thank you for walking me home." Hiren smiled, performing a little bow, "It was my pleasure." Her eyes widened at this, "Um...I'll see you in school, Hiren." She walked in, closing the door behind her. Hiren turned, walking back out to the street and ehading home. He had been walking for only a few minutes, before he suddenly stopped, "Whatever happened to that leopard?"

Seiji brought his right hand down, hard, onto the skull of the spotted leopard. It hit the ground with a rather sharp crunch, working breifly to it's feet before collapsing, unconscious. He breathed hard, his muscles fully exerted at having to fight off a leopard, "Damn...cats..." He looked behind him, "Midori... are you all right?" Midori nodded, running over to him, "Yes, thank you! Where did that leopard come from?" Seiji shook his head, holding Midori close, "I don't know, but it chose the wrong person to mess with." He smiled, leading her down the road, "Come on, I should get you home. I don't want Makie hitting me with her bat again." Midori smiled, laughing lightly, "Hiihii."

Hiren walked down the street. He was almost to his house, there were only a few more blocks between him and sleep. He heard a low rumbling from behind him, someone on a bike out for a late night ride. He saw a lamp post only ten feet ahead of him, as the sound came closer. He tilted his head, "Why does this seem so familia-" Suddenly, chapter two flashed into his head. He was a mere three feet from the pole, when he dropped to the ground. He ehard the sharp clang of metal hitting metal, followed by the pained scream of a man who had just hit a metal object at a fast pace with another solid metal object. Hiren stood up, looking at the two men getting off the motorcycle. One was Yoshino, from before. He still had black eyes, from the last time Hiren had seen him. His arms seemed to pulsate, as he worked to cease their trembling. He apparently had been the one holding the object, and every time he clenched his hands he seeemd to squint in pain. His voice was filled with hate, "I won't let you live, after how you embarressed me..." Hiren smiled, chuckling lightly as he started toward Yoshino, "Oh, and how do you expect to do that?" He saw Yoshino's hand go inside his jacket, where there was a small bulge. Hiren rushed him, sprinting, catching Yoshino's arm just before the pistol came out. He brought his hand to the man's throat, dropping him bodily to the cement with a small crunch. He grasped the pistol grip, drawing it and keeping it out of his reach. He was about to let the clip fall, but thought better of it and pointed it at the accomplice. He smiled, seeing the look of surprise on his face as the other guy had drawn a knife, "Never bring a knife to a gunfight..." He looked down at Yoshino, "And never try to draw a gun when you can't even form a fist." He stood, the firearm leveled, steady and smooth, "Now, I'm gonna leave, go home, and if I ever see you again..." He smiled, leaving the remark hanging in the still night as he backed up, heading for home.

He reached his house in a matter of minutes. Upon entering the house, he lef the lights off as he locked the door and walked up the stairs to his room. In his room, he moved a false wall covering, revealing a safe. He input a code, and it blipped once before he opened it. He took the clip out of the pistol, cocking it once to get the already loaded round out. He left it with the chamber open, the safety locked, placing it in the small safe alongside a number of knifes. He placed the clip near it, closing the safe and replacing the wall. He shook his head at the safe, "Heh...those idiots really didn't know just who they were messing with..." He let his clothing fall to the gorund, climbing into his bed wearing only his skivvies.


	7. Work

:Work:

Ayase walked into the school courtyard, her face clear from the early morning sun. She stretched, yawning as she looked around. She was early, like always, and just like always there was no one within sight. She sighed, taking a seat on a bench and looking up at the sky. She blinked twice in the slowly brightening dawn, as she considered her predicament. Her parents had somehow gotten tickets to some old style Kabuki play in Kyoto, and they wanted her to go with them. While she didn't mind going, she had intended to sleep in that day. She pouted at the sky. She had a week from the coming saturday to find a way to stay home. While she wracked her brain for an idea, someone's shadow blocked the sun from her eyes. She looked up into the face of Hiren, who smiled lightly, "Ello."

She sat up, "Hey, how are you?" Hiren shrugged, "Eh, nothing much. What about you?" She sighed, "Ah, just trying to figure a way out of this thing with my parents." Hiren lifted an eyebrow, sitting with his arm on the bench top, "Oh really? Want some help?" She smiled, "No, but thank you for the offer." Hiren nodded, "All right, it's your call. I'm here if you need me though..." She watched him scratch his chin a moment, as he looked away and toward the gate. She blinked once, "Kuragari..." He suddenly stood, waving, "Hey, Sawamura! How you been?" Ayase turned to see Seiji. She smiled lightly, at the sight of Midori asleep on his back. He looked slightly perturbed, his eye twitching.

"Hey Sawamura..." Ayase said, still smiling, "Looks like you have a small growth there..." Seiji glared at her, "You're mean..." Hiren lofted an eyebrow, "So, perhaps an explanation?" Seiji sighed, setting himself so Midori wasn't threatening to fall, "She doesn't have school today, something about today being a free day." Ayase nodded, "Well, it is friday, and her school is a private facility. It makes sense." Seiji sighed, "Yeah, but to her it meant she could spend the day with me. She spent all night worrying, and fell asleep the instant I opened the door when she knocked this morning," He looked back at her, smiling, "She completely forgot I had school..." He shrugged, lifting his shoulders slightly, "Anyways, now I have to figure out what to do. Either skip school and hang with her, or take her home..." Ayase looked behind him, "Um...I don't think you have much of a decision..." Seiji was turned halfway, sideways to the gate, his mouth open and asking something, when the flying mass of Nao took his shin out with a sweep kick.

She brought her leg around, sending him three feet away in a spin. Catching Midori effortlessly, she held her tightly. Modiri woke, blinking, "Mmm..Nao-Chan?" She blinked a few times, before hugging her, "Nao-Chan! It's been so long!" Seiji came walking up from behind Midori, "Nao, what the hell was that-" His formation of words was replaced by screams of surprise and pain, as Nao's mouth clamped tightly around his shoulder for getting too close to Midori. Midori's eyes opened wide, as she held her hand to her mouth, "Oh no! Is he going to be all right?" Ayase sighed waving it off, "Don't worry, he'll live Midori. How have you been?" Midori smiled, "I've been great, Ayase, thanks for asking!" Yoku's voice came through clear, as he walked toward them, "Hiren! Your Boss called, he wants you to call him before school starts! Something about working tonight!" Hiren nodded, waving, "Thanks for the update! I'll be right back everyone." He walked a little ways away, pulling a black flip cell phone from his pocket. He dialed, putting it to his ear and angling it away slightly, holding it with his middle finger and thumb only, his index at the top. Ayse looked at Yoku, tilting her head, "Hey, do you two live together?" Yoku nodded, "Yeah, neither of our parents would accept the two of us living here alone. He makes sure I don't kill people, and I make sure he doesn't get anyone pregnant." He said, exasperated. He made it sound like it was true, which it apparently was to them. Everyone stopped, raising an eyebrow at him. Even Nao had ceased biting Seiji a moment, as if to emphasize how insane he sounded.

Hiren walked back, his cell phone already back in his pocket, stretching, "Well, looks like I'll be home late tonight Yoku." Yoku nodded, "All right." Seiji looked at him, "You have a job?" Ayase tilted her head, "Where do you work?" Hiren smiled, "Eh, here and there, wherever my Boss needs me." Seiji narrowed his eyes, "Well, what do you do for your job?" Hiren smiled, chuckling lightly, "I'm an...entertainer, if you will." He walked into the school, leaving everyone to their own thoughts.

Ayase felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. She was in her seat, and class had been in session for two hours already. She looked up, searching the area for the cause. Finally, her eyes settled on Hiren. He sat with his head propped onto his hand, smiling as he stared at her, unblinking. She looked away, a red tinge coming to her cheeks. _Why is he looking at me? What if he..._ She shook her head, _No, of course not. Hiren wouldn't want to date me...Would he?_ She looked at him, his face still smiling. He seemed to be completely calm, his breathing coming in equal soundless raises of his chest. She pursed her lips, embarrassed that he would keep looking at her, even when she had noticed him. She saw his head slipping, to which she lifted an eyebrow, her voice a whisper, "What the..." Quite suddenly, his head slipped from his propped hand, hitting the desk, hard. A low snore emanated, his eyes still staring straight ahead. Ayase's jaw dropped, as she shook her fist in anger.

_He fell asleep!?_

Ayase walked onto the rooftop, for lunch. Hiren followed after, Seiji and Yoku right behind, both laughing quietly. Hiren held his head gingerly, wincing with every touch, "Ayase, I understand getting mad at me for falling asleep, but did you really have to punch me..." He counted on his fingers, "...Seven times?" Ayase stomped off, not bothering to answer as she sat down and ate. Hiren sighed, drooping sadly as he sat down and watched Ayase. The lunch passed slowly, the quietness growing nearly unbearable. Hiren looked up, "Ayase, listen. I'm sorry about falling asleep." Ayase eyed him as she ate, looking at him with disdain. She remained quiet, just calmly eating. Hiren's eye twitched, as he watched her intently.

In truth, Ayase wasn't all that mad at him for falling asleep. She didn't care that he had fallen asleep, she didn't care that he had gotten away with it. She was mad because she had thought he was looking at her because he _liked_ her. She had somehow gotten the idea in her head that he might like her as more than a friend, and for a moment she thought she might like him the same way too. She knew that was just lustful thinking now, and she decided to make Hiren squirm for what he had caused. She had known him long enough to know that he'd hate to have a girl mad at him. The fact that her plan was working made her happy, but she made sure to keep a slightly disgruntled face. Even now, she could see the look of sorrow on his face, as he sat watching her. She stood, having finished her food, and left. Hiren watched her go, not bothering to follow.

Hiren sighed as Ayase left the rooftop, the door clanging shut behind her. He looked up at the sky, "Shit...Why did I have to fall asleep?" He shook his head, hitting his forehead, "What kind of idiot falls asleep?" Seiji watched him, smiling, "Hey, don't worry about it. She might be a little ticked off, but she'll come around eventually." Hiren blinked, his eyes sad, "I doubt it. There's no reason to like me anyways..." Seiji tilted his head, "Dude, why are you so pessimistic?" Hiren sighed, his shoulders rising tightly, "I am because I know this world too well for my own good. I know how this world works, and I accept it. It doesn't matter if I'm a pessimist or an optimist, life is always going to be like this for me." He watched the clouds roll by, "Besides, I don't deserve her as even a friend, if I can't tell her..."

Ayase felt a folded scrap of paper hit her hand. She kept writing, picking it up lightly with her free hand. She looked at Hiren, who seemed to plead with his eyes that she read it. She sighed, setting her pen down and opening the paper. There was a note written on it, in a lilting type of writing.

_Ayase, I'm Sorry For Falling Asleep. I Don't Deserve Your Forgiveness, And I Can Only Dream That You'll One Day Speak To Me Again. _

Ayase sighed, crumpling the paper and dropping it into her pocket. Hiren's head slooped, as he became even sadder looking than before. Ayase smiled at the window, thinking of the letter. _He must really be sorry. All right, I'll stop this silent treatment after school, and forgive him._ She turned back to the front, writing down the notes once more where she left off.

After school, she left the classroom, following Hiren. She came out the front door, looking around, "Where is he?" She spotted him near the entrance, his shoulders slumped as he stood still. She raised her hand, waving it, "Hiren!" He didn't respond, but instead kept looking out the gate. She narrowed her eyes, stomping toward him, "Why the little..." She came up to him, hitting him over the head, "Hey! Answer when people talk to you!" He turned around, blinking, "Oh, sorry..." He blinked once, "Wait a tick, you're talking to me?" Ayase nodded, "Yes. I figured you had been tortured enough already." His face brightened up, "Yes! I'm now officially happy!" He looked at his watch as an alarm suddenly went off, "Oh, sorry Ayase, I gotta get to work. Catch ya later!" He ran off, Ayase calling after him, "Hey, wait a minute! You never told me where you work!" He disappeared behind a building. She sighed walking back home, "Oh well..."

The next day, Hiren walked through the main school gates with a tired gait. His eyelids dropped as he walked, his eyes half closed and his shoulders slumped. Ayase, Seiji, Miyahara, and Lucy all watched this with interest. He stopped a few steps in front of them, raising his hand in a small salute, "Ello, good mornin' to ya all..." his voice held a British accent, which brought everyone's eyebrows up. Lucy was excited at his voice, "Oh! Hiren, that's awesome! What other voices can you do?" Hiren was quiet, the only sound from him his slow, steady breathes. She walked up, peering at him closely all over. She waved her hand in front of his face, tilting her head, "Hellow!! Anyone home!?" He blinked once, before walking into the school, leaving them to their own thoughts.

It was the middle of class, and Ayase watched Hiren closely. He stared fixedly ahead of himself, unmoving, eyes half closed. The bags under his eyes were even more evident as the Teacher dragged on about something or other. His hand still wrote down the notes as they filtered into his brain, like a well oiled machine, even as he appeared a lifeless husk. Ayase shook her head at this, standing as the bell for lunch rang. Hiren moved without a word, leaving his stuff on his desk and heading out of the classroom.

Hiren sat on the roof of the school, holding a bottle of water limply. His eyes were almost completely closed, and a barely audible snore escaped his lungs as he breathed. Ayase, Lucy, Miyahara, Yoku and Seiji all watched him intently. He slowly closed his eyes repeatedly, and he dragged them open each time, his head drooping forward, until finally they closed and he breathed calmly. Seiji sighed, "Well, I guess he fell asleep..."

"No I didn't." Everyone jumped back at the sound of Hiren's voice, and Miyahara now hid behind Lucy in fear. Hiren looked up at them, drinking his bottle of water calmly, "I don't fall asleep at school. Ever..." He held up his finger, "Scratch that, I've fallen asleep in school only once, and that had been a special occasion..." He stretched his arms, standing up, "Well, I think I'll go back to the classroom. Make sure I didn't mess up on the notes..." There suddenly came the long, drawn out ring of a cell phone, inside his pocket. He dragged it out with a swish, checking the number just before flipping it open and answering, "Ello! What ya need?" Ayase tilted her head at his voice. He had changed it for the phone call, using the same british accent as from the morning. He nodded as the person on the other end of the line spoke to him, the voice unrecognizable. Finally, Hiren spoke again, "All righ' then, I'll be dere afta' school..." He clicked the end button, flipped the phone closed, and slid it into his pocket as he walked back down into the hallways. Ayase looked at everyone, who also held looks of unknowing on their faces. Yoku piped up though, "It's probably work, if he used his cell phone during school." Ayase looked at the door Hiren had used, slightly worried.

A few days passed, and everyday it was the same deal. Hiren came to school, appeared half asleep, and the day went on. Finally, Ayase had had enough. She could understand coming in sleep one day, but almost an entire week? It was Thursday when she confronted Hiren outside after school. He was at the front gates when she stomped up to him, "Kuragari!" He turned around, blinking once before smiling, "Well, ello Ayase." She glared at him, "Don't give me that. Where are you going?" Hiren pointed down the road, "Um, work..." She narrowed her eyes even farther, "Well, I won't stand for it. I'm not gonna have students in my class working themselves to death." Hiren smiled, "Don't worry, I can go a lot longer like this than you might think." She shook her head, "Nope, I won't have it. You're going home right now, whether you like it or not." Hiren sighed, "Listen, Ayase. I have reasons for why I work so hard." Ayase folded her arms, "Hmph. Well, what are they then?" Hiren opened his mouth, then closed it. He was quiet a moment, looking for what to say, before finally, "Oh, look at the time. Gotta go!" He sprinted down the road, leaving Ayase to watch after him with a hanging jaw. She glared at his reteating body, "Oh, that's it. It's on..."

She pulled the hat down over her sunglass covered eyes, watching Hiren walk off the train. She followed suit, staying a good distance away as she trailed him. He was walking with a small gait, like he owned the place. For some reason, she thought of a mobster in the way he walked. His entire outfit screamed mobster, actually. He wore a black and gray pinstripe suit, a matching Fedorah, and a pair of oval shaped black glasses and a scarf draped across his shoulders finished the look. He had stopped by a large building earlier, and when he came out she almost didn't recognize him, and if it hadn't been for his hair she would have lost him there. He had left his bookbag and school outfit in the building apparently, and was now walking toward a large restaurante. The restaurante itself wasn't too fancy, but it would definitely carry a heavy price for food. The majority of tables were outside, and spaced apart generously. All the people gathered there wore suits and dresses, and for the most part gave off a scary vibe. It looked like the kind of place you'd see a man walk into, but not see him leave. She couldn't believe he would be working there, but considering how he was dressed she could only think that was where his job was. She saw him walk in, and stopped for a moment acros the street. She looked at the building, suddenly thinking of something.

How was she gonna get in? This place obviously had tight security, and she sure as hell wasn't dressed for the part of a girl just wanting something to eat from such a place. She kept her eyes on the tables, waiting for Hiren to walk out. Depending on what his job was, she might be not have to yell at him. Finally, she saw him walk out, accompanied by a young woman and another man, somewhere in her early twenties and the man in his early thirties at most. Ayase sighed, seeing he was just a waiter. She was about to leave, when she saw him sit down opposite the woman, while the other man offered both of them a menu. She widened her eyes, and then glared at him, _That little... _she ran across the street, her mind whirring as she came closer. She kept walking past the tables, stopping near a bench that placed her back right next to Hiren's table. She crossed her arms, angry. _That stupid playboy...Working my ass!_ She heard them talking, and leaned back slightly to hear better.

Hiren's voice came through, clear, as he sat closest to her. He spoke with a strange dialect, using a more guttural voice than normal, more commanding and penetrative, "So tell me, Gehl. 'Ave you had a good time 'Ere?" The girl's voice was whimsical, a constant laugh, "hihi, of course I have, Yakuza-San! You've done nothing but show me a good time these past few days!"

"Hmph...Do ya really need ta call me that? I 'Ave a name, ya know..."

"Oh, I'm sorry Koroshiya-San. It's been a dream of mine for so long to meet a man like you, I'm just so...so..." She sounded about ready to burst into tears, but it seemed she was happy instead of sad.

"'Ey now, don't you worry about a thing, Little Miss. You go a'ead and call me what ye like, ye hear?"

"Thank you, Yakuza-San! You know, I'm glad those men tried to kidnap me, I met you because of that..."

"Oi, don't be happy about something like that, you idiot! What if I hadn't arrived, huh? What if they had kidnapped you, huh? What if they had tried something on you, huh?"

"I...I'm sorry, Yakuza-San. I just meant..."

"Whatever, don't worry 'bout it. Now listen here, I want you to know something. You should find a nice guy, someone who doesn't break the law, you got that?"

"W-w-what? Koroshiya-San, what're you saying..."

"Now listen here Gehl, I ain't goin' ta say this twice. Running 'round, looking for trouble bound guys like me isn't smart. You need to stay 'way from people in my profession. Now, you understand?"

Ayase heard the girl's sobs, that seemed to echoe in Ayase's mind, "B-b-but, Koroshiya-San..."

"No buts! People like me are only trouble, and a girl like you shouldn't even think of mingling with mah kind! We've hung out these past few days, and in that time I learned a lot 'bout you. I 'ad some o' me guys get some files on ya..." The girl's sobs tightened up, like she had suddenly stopped breathing a moment, "...W-why..."

"Cause I 'ad a feeling there was somethin' in your past. There had to be a reason why you were 'angin round that part of town. Why would you look for tha' kind a person again, afta' what 'appened before?"

There were a few quiet sobs before she answered, "I...you don't understand..."

"Then 'splain ta me."

"He...he cared for me, those types of guys all cared for me... They protected me... He only hurt me because he loved me, and he didn't want me leaving, he loved me so much..."

"Do ya hear yourself? Do ya 'ear what you're sayin'? If a man truly loves a girl, he would never hurt her, no matter what!"

"I...I-I'm sorry, Koroshiya-San... I just, I need someone who can...can..."

"Listen, I'm not gonna be around you forever. Eventually, I'll 'ave to leave, ya got that? I want you ta go back 'ome, and think about what you should really look for in a guy. You got that?" Ayase heard the girl holding back sobs, and when Hiren spoke again she could only think that the girl had nodded to his question, "All righ' now, that's a good gehl. Look at you, your so beautiful, why do you hide behind this hair? Put it back, show your face proudly." Ayase heard the girl stand, her seat scooting across the pavement, "Koroshiya-San... I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble..." She ran off, leaving Hiren alone. Well, that's what they both thought.

"What the hell was that!!" Ayase's voice pierced the night behind Hiren, and she was quite close to him at the time. He jumped forward, falling to the ground and clutching his chest, looking wide-eyed at Ayase, "Holy!..." His breathing calmed as he stood, "Jeez, what're you doin'? Ya nearly scared me 'alf ta death..." He cleared his throat, a rough sound, his voice returning to his normal soothing bass, "Ayase, why are you here?" He had stood back up, only to be knocked down by a punch from Ayase, "What was that all about!? Huh?"

Hiren blinked, deciding staying quiet might be best at this point. Ayase's voice continued, "I followed you, thinking you were going to work, and here I find you on a date! A DATE! Not only that, you're dressed wierdly and and speaking strangely, telling the girl how she should run her life!" Ayase was throwing things at him as she ranted, her frustation evident. Plates, glasses,silverware, all manner of objects were hefted and sent on a collision course with Hiren. Even a moped, one that was yellow with a white circle on the fornt which housed a P! Hiren didn't care much where the moped had come from, the street itself was deserted of cars, except for the occasional truck...

Hiren quickly decided to put a stop to the ranting, before she discovered this fact as well, "Ayase, wait! Let me explaiN!" She halted her assault, a park bench held high over her head as Hiren watched in fear. Where was the nearest park, three blocks away? He shook his head, standing slowly with his arms outstretched, "Sit down, please. We'll talk, and I'll explain just whats going on here..." She glared at him for a few moments, before taking a seat at the same table he had been at before hand. How this single table, which was right in the path of her onslaught, had survived, Hiren didn't know, but he felt it was one lucky inanimate object. He took a seat, careful not to be too close. He cleared his through, "Hmremh...All right then..."

He sighed, taking a breath, "I work for an organization that was built to help people with their problems, specifically women." Ayase had grabbed the bench again, and Hiren thrust out his arms in fear, as he for some reason thought his arms could stop the bench, "W-wait! I'll explain fully!" She let the bench drop with a loud thud, as she sat back down. She still glared at him, and remained quiet. He sighed, continuing, "It was created by a man in the government, who sought a way for this nation to prosper through mental stability. He held connections with a great number of people, and so he managed to continue this business without seeking payment. Even now, It's only monetary gain is through investors and private donations." Her eyes were softening lightly as he spoke. He had hope now that she believed him, "It's a very rare job, since it pays so much for only actually working a few nights out of the year. What you saw tonight was one such job. You see, considering what the stakes our, all the employees give their all into helping the girls..." He looked out at the road, his face reminscent, "The one from tonight, her story was the worse I've heard..." He shook his head, his voice growing sad, "Had a boyfriend, that would beat her almost nightly. Went by the name Nobu. She had so many chances to leave him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It wasn't until he was arrested that she broke free of him. She thought she needed him..." His fist had tightened up, and he let it relax, as he turned to Ayase, "Hopefully, she'll be better from now on..." Ayase's eyes had taken on a gleam, like she was about to cry, "Kuragari-San...I didn't know..." Hiren smiled, waving her off, "It's fine, don't worry. I have to admit, if I had seen me doing what I was tonight, I probably would have reacted similarly." He smiled, tilting his head sideways, "Oh yes, before I forget, why _did_ you follow me?" Ayase straightened in her chair, fidgeting with her fingers, "Oh, that...hehe, yeah, funny story actually..." A funny story indeed, but Hiren had no chance to hear it as Ayase vaulted over the wooden fence, dodged a truck, and sprinted full blast down the sidewalk, a trail of dust in her wake. Hiren blinked in surprise, before sighing, "All righty then..."

Hiren stood in front of an apartment door. He had changed his clothes, and now wore a pair of baggy pants, a matching long sleeved trench coat covering him, extending to his ankles. He wore a soft mat of tissues across his face, the same type one would wear when you were sick out of respect for the health of others. His hair was drawn back and tied, his eyes showing clearly, as he knocked loudly on the door before him. The area was run down, and he had a feeling he wouldn't be disturbed, no matter how loud or long it took. There was a series of clicks, as the door opened to reveal a thin, lanky man. He wore only pants, his bare chest covered by tattoos. He cocked an eyebrow, "Yes?" He said it carefully, his hands unseen. Hiren nodded, "Oi, would you be Nobu?" The man narrowed his eyes, "If I am?" Hiren smiled. He already knew how this would turn out, it all depended on what type of gun the man was holding behind the door. Pistol? No, he had both hands hidden, some kind of rifle. Shotgun, most likely. He nodded, taking notice of the chain that was suppose to keep the door from opening fully. It wasn't fully extended. Nobu spoke again, "Who are you, what do ya want?" Hiren smiled, his arm coming back and forward in a flash, snapping the chain and colliding the edge of the door with Nobu's unprotected nose. The sharp crack went unnoticed, as Hiren stepped, grasping the man's head and bringing down, as his knee came up. From there, it was as simple as grabbing the wrist of the hand that held the gun's butt, in this case a single barrel sawed off shotgun, bringing it up and having his elbow connect with Nobu's. It clattered to the floor, useless, as Nobu fell backward, "B-bhoo arh yuu!?" He held his broken nose, as Hiren advanced, the shadows seeming to mutate his appearance, his near psychotic smile sending chills, "Just A Friend Called The End!" Next door, a man and his wife hit the volume button, letting the news attempt and drown out the screams.

Attempt.

The next morning, everyone was gathered at school when Miyahara ran up, out of breath, "Hey guys! Check it out!" Seiji grabbed the paper from him, reading the article's title out loud, "Local Inmate On Paroll Beaten Nearly To Death." Seiji looked on in shock, "Damn, that's only a few train hops away." Miyahara nodded, his breath catching up to him, "Yeah, I know! It's insane, what this world is coming to! They say it was a random attack, that nothing was stolen!" Seiji shook his fist, crushing the paper in it, "Listen, I don't care about that! All I care about is that this guy might be heading this way, and that means Midori might be in danger!" Hiren shook his head, "I doubt that. What idiot would attack again, so soon after the first time? If it was indeed random, and he hadn't planned it out, then he obviously doesn't think ahead." Seiji sighed, smiling, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still though, I think I'll be skipping class early, to make sure Midori doesn't have to wait for me outside her school." Yoku blinked a couple times, raising his hand in protest, "Isn't her school the one that has a fifthteen foot wall around it, with security guards at the gates?" Seiji nodded, "Yea, so? You think I'm gonna just relax knowing that? Guards can be bribed, but I sure as hell can't!" Yoku smiled, nodding, "Good man, good man!"

Meanwhile, on a building rooftop a short distance away, a man wearing a black suit stood with a pair of binoculars, watching the group as they yelled and laughed, talking with each other. He reached his right hand up to his ear, pressing the button of the earpiece on it, which would activate the transmitter, "MI6, this is Bond..." He pressed another button, causing the binoculars to not only zoom in and center on Yoku, but also begin sending live video feed, "I found him."


End file.
